The Play's the Thing
by Raven524
Summary: WARNING SPOILERS: This is kind of a sequel to my previous story when The Long Road Home and may include things from up to 5.03. Their first hunt back together—are the boys back in town or will this be their last job?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Summary:** WARNING SPOILERS: This is kind of a sequel to my previous story when The Long Road Home and may include things from up to 5.03. Their first hunt back together—are the boys back in town or will this be their last job?

**Raven 524**: I know by the time I get this story done the boys will probably already be back up to hunting speed. But I couldn't resist taking a stab at their first hunt together again. Sammy wumpage and Dean owies are sure to ensue along with some irate Bobby thrown into the mix. It's only a ghost, so how much trouble can they get into? Read on and find out!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 1 – Training Wheels**

_**Previously…**_

"So you think it might be a vengeful spirit?" Sam asked quietly as he finished his sandwich. He still wasn't eating as much as Bobby and Dean wanted, but at least he'd put some of the weight he'd lost back on. The afternoon training with his brother had also helped put muscle back on his lean frame. Except for a few twinges now and then, he was back to fighting fit.

"Yeah, apparently I'm thinking it may have been this character Joseph Freemont. He was an actor who died opening night under mysterious circumstances. Some folks have said they see him sitting in the audience during every opening night performance. But lately he seems to be getting angry. The last four leading actors have ended up dying by strange accidents over the past three months. According to the schedule, West Side Story is going to be opening at the end of the week. I figure that gives us a few days to do some research and then settle the thing before someone else gets hurt."

Dean picked up the plates and rinsed them before he turned with the dishrag in his hand. "Sounds like our kind of hunt. What do you say Sammy? Ready to get back in the saddle?"

"I'm ready but I still think we should be looking for a way to get rid of Lucifer." Sam heard the sigh and looked up at his brother. He could see he was picking his words carefully.

"We're not ready Sam. We don't even know how to kill the son of a bitch. Until we have a plan, we need to keep him at arms reach." Dean threw the dishrag in the sink before he returned to the table.

"But if we don't research it, how are we going to find it Dean? I mean, we don't really know how long we've got before it hits the fan." Sam continued to argue.

"So you want revenge again Sammy is that it?" Dean asked.

Sam paused and looked up at both men before he responded. "No Dean, I want redemption."

"Dean's right Sam, we can't go off half cocked without making sure what we are up against." Bobby added. "Besides, you leave the research up to me. I can't be out in the field with you boys but I can still use my resources to help you figure this out."

"As to time Sammy, we never knew that before either. I guess the way I look at—the apocalypse or a whacked out vampire. Either way we may buy it. Besides as long as I don't agree to be Michael's vessel, I don't think things are going to change much." Dean shrugged.

Sam took a deep breath. He understood what they were saying but he needed to be doing something to end this. Each day he woke it was to the knowledge that it might be the day Lucifer found him. Unlike his brother and Bobby, he wasn't so sure he could keep saying no—he'd been weak before. He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder.

"I know this is hard Sammy. I don't know if or when Zach might show up to force the issue either. But we can't worry about them. All we can do is what we do best—kick fuggly butt!"

The young hunter smiled. He didn't like it, but for now he was willing to follow his brother's lead. He'd shown before that his decisions couldn't be trusted. Besides, it would feel good to fight something they knew they had a chance of beating. "Okay Dean. So Bobby, how were you planning on getting back to South Dakota?"

"I'm going with you, you idjit! I figure I'll help you out with this little ghost problem and then you can drop me off. Someone has to keep you two out of trouble." Bobby groused as he stood and walked towards his bedroom. "We leave in an hour so you two ladies better get your gear together or you'll be walking back to South Dakota."

Dean laughed and shook his head. "I wonder if he realizes I have the keys?"

Bobby ducked his head out of the doorway. "Mechanic genius—any more questions?"

"No Sir!" both boys chorused as they headed to their own rooms to pack.

_**And Now…**_

Dean glanced back at their old friend and smiled. It had been a long time since his car had felt so full. It brought back days with his Dad when things had been so much simpler. Identify the bad thing, find the bad thing and then kill the bad thing—simple. Then the demons got involved and everything literally went to hell, literally. He glanced over at his sleeping sibling.

At first he had to admit he was a little numb and hadn't really processed the future that faced his little brother. It defied all logic how the boy who wore his heart on his sleeve and argued to protect vampires because they might not be evil was supposed to be the vessel for Lucifer. The burden on his brother's shoulders had increased and yet he still struggled on—still tried to do the right thing. Anyone who thought Sam was weak would be mistaken.

The problem was he knew Sam still saw himself that way. All the talks over the past few weeks were just that, talk. There was nothing he could do to change his brother's opinion of himself or remove the guilt that always lay beneath the surface. No all he could do was give his brother the one thing that kept them both fighting—hope.

"Don't worry Dean, we'll figure it out before it comes to it." Bobby said softly from the back seat. Dean looked up into the rearview mirror and saw his own worry in the brown eyes looking back at him.

"I know Bobby, it's just—why him? I'm the one who probably should have been selected…" Dean sighed. Of course, he wasn't in the clear either. He remembered Raphael's vessel and shivered. Cas had said it would be worse for him and he didn't doubt it. When had they become nothing more than meatsuits? Where was God in all this mess? He half believed Raphael when he had said the big man upstairs was dead. And yet, his own father had been counted out more than once only to show up when least expected. He didn't know if he believed in any of this God business, but he had to hope somewhere the scales would eventually tip in their favor.

"Neither one of you deserve this crap Dean. We just need to keep doing what we do best. Figure it out and then do the job." Bobby replied as he shifted on the seat. It was clear the long ride was making the man stiff. Dean was sure that his brother was also tired. Even though he'd made great strides over the past weeks, he still tired easily. The wounds had mostly healed but he saw him wince once in a while when he thought Dean wasn't looking.

"We should be there in about an hour. I'll get you and Sammy settled and then go grab us something to eat."

"Sounds like a plan…" Bobby replied simply as he leaned back and once more looked out the window.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sam walked out of the bathroom and noticed Bobby was already using his computer to start the research. "That could wait until after we eat…"

"We only have a few days before the new play opens. Just thought I'd see what I could find on the actor in question. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there is much on him. He was a mediocre one at best. Getting the lead in the play would have been the high-light of his career it seems." Bobby sank back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's only community theater Bobby. I mean, why would he take it so seriously?" Sam remarked as he looked over his friends shoulder. He could see the young man smiling next to a billboard with his name next to the lead role. His brows drew together as he realized the play's name.

"Ah Bobby, did you notice the name of the play?"

"Sure did Sammy. I'm thinking that's why he's acting up more than usual. It makes sense he'd be angry about anyone playing Tony." Bobby shrugged.

"Has the play been done since his death?" Sam asked as he moved closer, his mind already going over the possibilities. He sat down and pulled the computer closer as he began to type. He didn't even notice the smile on his friends face as he pushed his chair slightly back.

"I hadn't gotten that far yet yah idgit…" There was no heat in the words but Sam immediately felt ashamed. He'd practically shoved the man aside.

"I'm sorry Bobby. It's just I'm so used to…"

"No problem boy. I prefer my books anyway. What say I make a few calls to the local police department and see if they have anything on how the man died? You just keep doing what you're doing. I'm sure Dean won't mind missing out on this part at all." Bobby didn't wait for Sam's response but pulled out his cell phone and moved to the other side of the table. "This is agent Franklin G. Smart, FBI…"

Sam tuned out the rest as he began to type once more. Joseph Freemont had died five years before in what looked like a freak accident. The newspaper article mentioned he'd fallen from the catwalk. No one knew why the man was up there to begin with but there didn't appear to be any sign of foul play. The play went on the next night with the stand in. He checked the theater's performances but this was the first time West Side Story would be playing since the unfortunate death of Joseph.

"Well that was less than helpful." Bobby groused as he hung up the phone.

"Let me guess, they ruled it an accident and closed the books?" Sam stated as he made a note in his journal.

"You got it! Darn small town cops wouldn't know a murder if it came up and bit them in the rear. Not to mention they somehow lost the records of who picked up the body so we have no idea where the son of a bitch is buried." Bobby remarked. "Did you find out anything else?"

"Not really, but maybe we should check with the guy who took over that night. It says here his name is James Winters. It looks like he's going to be in this one as well." Sam pulled up the play bill and showed it to Bobby.

_Come join us along with local favorite James Winters for the reprisal of his role in the modern-day Romeo and Juliet tale, WEST SIDE STORY. The stage is set in New York's Upper West Side in the 1950s, where the area's slums are plagued by racial tensions acted on by two rival gangs: the Puerto Rican Sharks and the Caucasian Jets. In the middle of this mess is young, innocent Maria (Jessica Ward), a Puerto Rican seamstress whose brother, Bernardo (Manuel Gonzales), is the leader of the Sharks. Despite the warnings of Anita (Marie Santiago), Bernardo's fiery girlfriend, Maria falls in love with a young, hopeful Polish boy, Tony (James Winters), who used to belong to the Jets, now headed by Riff (Russell Bing). When Tony, on Maria's urging, tries to stop a rumble between the gangs, tragedy ensues, marking their dedicated love affair with violence and desperation. The infectious, lyrical landmark score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim help round out one of the greatest musical experiences ever performed on a stage._

Sam read on and noted that James Winters had gone on to become a successful actor in the local theater as well as being selected to perform on Broadway. "It says here that the role brought him to the attention of a talent scout who was in the audience that night. I wonder if James knew the scout would be there?"

"Sure sounds like he got a lucky break." Bobby agreed.

"Well at least we know where to start. The problem is theater people tend to be a bit closed around outsiders. I think Dean and I will have to work our way inside on this one." Sam pulled up the theaters phone number and made a quick call. A few minutes later he grinned as he closed the phone. He could see the glint in Bobby's eye as well.

"You know he's gonna kill you right?" Bobby remarked.

"What?" Sam asked innocently

"It's your funeral kid…"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean sat in the diner and sipped on the coffee that the waitress had brought him. It was the first time in weeks that he'd been alone and he was surprised to find out he didn't really like it. He glanced down at his watch. The food was ordered but they'd told him it wouldn't be ready for at least thirty minutes—he still had twenty to go before he would be able to head back.

He knew Bobby would watch out for Sam and he also knew his brother was more than able to take care of himself, but he couldn't help but worry. It had been too close back in North Ridge. If he'd been only a few minutes later, they would have lost his brother for good. It hadn't taken long for the old protective feelings to come back. But if he was honest with himself, he wouldn't have it any other way. Being a big brother was his role and one he wouldn't give up easily again.

"Dean…" The hunter jumped as he gazed up and met the steady gaze of his angel friend.

"How the heck did you…"

"I used something called GPS—the lady on the phone explained it to me when I told her your Uncle Bobby was dying and you weren't answering your phone." Cas replied casually.

"You lied?" Dean couldn't believe it.

"No, I just didn't say when you're uncle would die…" Cas shrugged. "Eventually it will be true for us all."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are a glass half empty kind of guy?" Dean remarked as he took another sip of his coffee. He made a mental note to have Bobby get them new phones and to remove the GPS from them. If Cas thought of it, Zach wouldn't be far behind.

"I've been a little busy Cas and I'm about to be busy again. What do you need this time?" Dean really wasn't ready for another demon hunt. He just wanted this one hunt before they had to get back in the game. One hunt for him and Sam to find their feet again before they had to face a world gone bad.

"I've found some information I thought you might find useful." Cas continued to stare at Dean until he realized the angel was waiting for him to ask.

"Okay, I'll bite Columbo, what did you find?" Dean snickered at the confused look on the holy tax accountant's face.

"The colt still exists and it will kill Lucifer." Cas stated as if he was relating that it would be sunny tomorrow. Dean shook his head at the whole thing. He was just waiting for his dinner, drinking coffee and an angel of the Lord pops in to tell him of a way to kill the devil himself. Sometimes his life was too surreal.

"No way. Why would the demons keep something around that would kill them?" He wasn't buying it. All he needed now was another wild goose chase for Sam to focus on. He was sure once he told him he'd drop everything to start finding the damn gun.

"I don't know Dean, but if you're going to insist on this ridiculous quest to kill Lucifer this would be the way to do it." Cas leaned back and waited.

"Fine, so any idea on where we can find the gun now?" Dean leaned forward, his gaze intent as he waited for the answer. He wasn't surprised at the response.

"I don't know but my source says Lilith never received the gun. You could start with the person who took it…" Cas replied.

"Well that's gonna be kind of hard since she became puppy chow before I did." Dean shook his head. "Don't worry Cas, I'll add it to the list of things we need to figure out before the world ends." The hunter paused as the angel still waited with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Ah, Thanks Cas. Any luck on the great search for your father?" Dean watched as the messenger of the Lord looked uncomfortable. He remembered how disheartened the angel had looked after the Archangel Raphael told him God was dead. He couldn't help but give the distraught angel something to hold on to at the time.

"I am still looking Dean. I am sure when he is ready; God will reveal himself to me." Cas replied simply.

"Ah, sure. So…" Dean blinked as he heard the sound of wings and then was facing an empty seat again. He shook his head as he muttered. "I swear Cas, there's a cat bell with your name on it."

"Here's your dinner Honey, can I get you anything else?" Dean looked up and smiled.

"No thanks Darla. I'll just be on my way." The hunter quickly stood and paid his bill. The only question was when should he tell Sam what he'd found out. Already he was beginning to regret the 'no secrets' vow he'd discussed with his little brother. He climbed into the Impala and placed his head against the steering wheel. When no answer came he shrugged and started the engine. He had another thirty minutes to figure out what to do before he was faced with his sibling. Until then he decided to relax and enjoy the moment. He popped in his favorite Metallica song and cranked the volume. Before long he was singing along as his baby ate up the road beneath him.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean knew something was up the minute he walked into the room. First of all Bobby was no where to be found and his brother was sitting at the table with his leg bouncing. "What did you do with Bobby?" The oldest Winchester remarked as he dropped the food on the table before taking off his coat and tossing it on the bed.

"He went to lie down. I told him I'd call him when the food got here. What took so long anyway Dean?" Sam leaned back and swallowed, his eyes not quite meeting Dean's. It was a sure sign that his brother was working up to tell him something he probably didn't want to hear.

"They were backed up and only had one cook today. Also, our friend Cas decided to pop in." Dean said nonchalantly as he pulled up a chair. "He says the Colt is still in play…"

Sam stopped and looked up. "But I thought Uriel said only angels can kill angels?"

"Yeah, well he also said he wanted to help us stop the seals from breaking and we saw how well that worked out…" Dean was immediately sorry he mentioned it as he saw the flash of guilt in his brother's hazel eyes. "Come on Sammy, I didn't mean it like that…"

Sam sighed. "I know Dean." His brother squared his shoulders and finally met his eyes. "So did he say where we could find it?"

"Of course not, but rumor has it that Lilith never got her hands on it. So whoever Bella gave it to either got distracted or decided to keep the gun for some reason." Dean shrugged. "Either way, we got no leads to find it."

Sam pulled the computer over and typed in a few keystrokes. "What are you doing Sammy?" Dean finally asked.

"Starting to search. If we can find the colt we can end this Dean." The hope in Sam's voice was almost painful to hear. Especially since Dean was going to have to reign his brother in.

"Sam we're already on a hunt remember?"

"But this is more important isn't it?" Sam replied as he continued to type.

"More important than the life of the man who might die while we chase after a gun that could be lost for all we know. No Sam, we need to focus on this job. We need to get our feet wet again, work out the kinks before we have to jump back into the big leagues." He saw Sam's shoulder's slump.

"You don't think I can handle it…"

"No, you're putting words in my mouth Sam. I think we're both rusty at working together. We've both been working alone too long now. We both need this hunt to get our heads back where they belong." Dean watched as his brother processed what he was saying. It was clear he didn't buy it all but after a few moments he was rewarded with a slight nod.

"Okay Dean. But once this hunt is done, we start looking for the colt." Sam said firmly.

"Oh we'll look but all I'm asking is we keep our options open and take on whatever hunts come our way. It's gonna take time Sammy…" Dean watched the stubborn set of his brother's jaw and knew his brother wasn't convinced. Rather than start a fight before they even managed to finish the current job he decided to change direction.

"So, what have you found out so far?" He watched as Sam reigned in his emotions before he began to catch Dean up on what he and Bobby had found out so far.

"Let me get this straight. We have a ghost who is ticked off because the stand-in got the role he should have had?"

"Sound like it Dean. But we won't know more until we can talk to some of the people who were there. From what I've been able to find out, with the exception of Russell Bing, all the other actors are returning to reprise their roles from five years ago—including James." Sam sat back and began chewing on his lower lip. Dean waited and he wasn't disappointed when his brother continued.

"I called the theater to find out if they had any openings since I figured we needed to get close to these people to figure out what actually happened and hopefully find out who claimed the body. Luckily they have two openings…" Sam paused and looked down at his fingers.

"And…" Dean prodded.

"Well, I'm going in to help with set design…" Sam continued to look down at his hands as if they were the most interesting thing on the planet.

"And I'm going to be?" Dean watched as Sam smiled softly before replying.

"Well the only other opening was understudy for the role of Tony—but the likelihood that you'll have to perform is really small Dean." Sam finished quickly.

Dean sat back and gazed at his sibling. "So let me get this straight. I might have to actually get on stage and 'act' in front of a bunch of strangers?"

"Uhm, well kind of but…" Sam paused as he turned the screen to Dean and let him read the synopsis of the play.

"No way Sammy! There is now frickin' way you're gonna get me involved in this—for cripes sake, they probably have to wear tights and everything!" Dean cried in horror.

"Actually Dean, this is a modern day play so you'll be able to wear jeans and a T-shirt. Besides like I said, it's not like you'll actually have to perform. We'll probably have this done before then and James Winters will most likely perform so…"

"I am not going to sing!" Dean remarked as he stood up and moved to the other side of the room. He stopped when he heard a laugh from the connecting doorway.

"Oh I don't know princess—I think you'll be great singing 'I Feel Pretty' while twirling around the stage. I'm sure Sam mentioned that you'll also have to dance right?" Bobby chortled as he entered the room.

"SAMMY!"

TBC

Raven524: All right, here is the first chapter of the new story. Hopefully it isn't too bad. I just couldn't resist putting Dean in a lead role. Besides after Yellow Fever, we know he can break a move right?


	2. Chapter 2 Stage Fright

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 2 – Stage Fright**

Sam wiped his hand on the rag attached to his waistband to remove the excess paint. He stepped back and had to admit the background he was helping to paint didn't look half bad. Of course it had been years since he'd done anything but sketch things involved with hunting. But when he was in college, Jessica had encouraged him to draw. He remembered the sketchbook that held page after page of his attempts to capture his girlfriend. Jessica cooking, reading even sleeping; images that were still etched in his mind but unfortunately had been lost in the fire that had consumed his world.

"Not bad Sam." Tamara Fontenot remarked. The New Orleans beauty was dressed in overalls smeared with paint. Her blond hair was pulled up and covered by the New Orleans Saints ball cap. It was also splattered with the evidence of her trade. He'd been impressed with her ability to handle everything, including coming up with the concepts down to actually painting whatever was required to get the scenery for the play ready for opening night. At barely five foot, he towered over her and yet he somehow doubted his size intimidated her.

"Thanks, it's been a while." Sam replied as he grabbed the container holding the paint brushes and began to take them to be cleaned. He could have kicked himself when he saw the curious look on the woman's face. Obviously she had assumed he did this for a living.

"So you follow your brother from gig to gig and help out?" Tamara trailed after him with another bucket of sponges and other things she used to create the scenes.

"No, I ah, was just taking some time off from college and met up with Dean. We've kind of been traveling together. When this opportunity came up for him and I found out you had an opening—well I just thought I'd try my hand at it again." Sam put the brushes in the large utility sink and began to work the paint from the bristles. He hoped the girl would let it rest, but of course his luck was still running true to form.

"Were you studying performing arts in college Sam?" Tamara joined him at the sink and began to work on the equipment in her own pail. He glanced at her sturdy hands as they efficiently worked to get the paint out. He placed the now clean brushes on the drying rack and stepped back to dry his hands before he looked up at her. He could see the curiosity burning behind the sky blue eyes.

"No, actually I was studying to become a lawyer but I used to help Jessica with this kind of thing when she volunteered at the local community theater." It was a true statement and he couldn't help the sad smile that crossed his face as he once again remembered a happier time. He touched his face for a moment recalling the time she'd nailed him with the paintbrush before taking off. Of course, she'd gotten worse but then blue always was her color.

Tamara placed her hand on his shoulder. "She's gone?"

Sam cleared his throat before replying. "She died in a fire in the apartment. I wasn't home…" He swallowed as the vision of her on the ceiling threatened to overwhelm him. "It was why I left on the road trip with my brother."

"I'm so sorry Sam. I know how that kind of loss feels. I lost my best friend to a freak fire right here in this theater about five years ago. She actually used to do the job you're doing now…" Tamara sighed before looking away. "You know they say this place is cursed and there are times I believe it."

"Why is that?" Sam asked.

"Well first Joey died mysteriously and my friend Rebecca was killed about six months after. Then there have been the accidents; some people have even said they've seen Joey's ghost in the rafters during a performance or even sitting in an empty chair in the audience." Tamara finished putting the supplies away before she too dried her hands. She looked up at the catwalk and shivered. "I swear sometime I can see him too…"

Sam placed a hand on her shoulders. "I'm sorry about your friend, was the fire an accident?" He couldn't believe his luck. Maybe they could get the information and take care of the ghost before his brother discovered he'd have to actually perform this afternoon.

"That's what the fire marshal said. He blamed it on faulty electrical wiring but I don't know. It was the way she was engulfed so quickly. It was in the old prop room. They still haven't repaired it because every time someone tried to start construction, more accidents would happen. In the end the owners just decided to close it off." Tamara shook her head and laughed slightly. "Don't pay no mind to me Sam. I guess it's my Louisiana soul, always looking for something supernatural to explain why bad things happen. My grandma always told me to beware the dark and I guess it just stuck with me."

"Your grandma sounds like a smart woman to me." The young hunter replied as he thought about his own father's warnings when he'd been no more than a child. Of course, he was sure his Dad had no clue that some day his son would bring the ultimate evil into the world. As he turned he felt a soft hand on his arm.

"I truly am sorry about your girlfriend Sam. I shouldn't have pushed. How about I make it up to you by buying you a drink at the Single File Bar? The rest of the cast will probably be there tonight as well after rehearsal.

"I'll check with Dean and let you know…." Sam replied as he smiled before turning to walk away. "Do you need me to do anything else right now?"

"No, why don't you take the rest of the day off. We have to wait for the stuff we just did to dry. Then we can begin to put it in place before we paint the floor." Tamara smiled. "I hope I'll see you later at the bar."

"Sure…" Sam said as he headed quickly towards the exit. Dean and Bobby were still at the motel since the cast wouldn't be rehearsing until after lunch. As he looked back at the stage his eyes traveled upward and he could have sworn he saw a brief flicker of something before it was gone. He didn't need EMF to know something was here and it was not benevolent. Especially if had been the cause of one fatality already. The sooner they figured this out, the better.

As he began to walk towards the library, he pulled out his cell phone. "Hey Dean. I may have found a lead and I'm going to check it out." He listened to his brother on the other end and smiled. "I don't know if it will get you out of rehearsal so you better work on your lines Dude just in case." He held the phone away from his ear for a moment before he spoke over the expletives coming through the line. "I'll call you once I know something—talk to you later Romeo." A smile crossed his lips as he imagined the look on his big brother's face. Some times being a Winchester wasn't all that bad.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean paced the room and looked at the phone in his hand. He glared up at his friend as he heard the snicker coming from the table. "Why in the hell do I have to learn the lines? Did you see this Bobby—there are pages and pages of dialog. How am I supposed to remember all of it?"

Bobby grinned. "Well I wouldn't be worrying so much about the words as the songs and dancin' you need to do. Maybe you should watch that DVD your brother got you this morning again?"

"That's my point Bobby! I mean, the story actually isn't too bad but there is no way I can learn all this in a few hours…" Dean sank down on the bed. "I'm gonna kill him—Lucifer won't have to worry, I'll be taking his vessel out before him."

"Best get to work son. Obviously your brother was right about blending in with the actors being the best approach. He's only been there a few hours and come up with a lead…" Bobby tried to hide his amusement behind his hand as he watched his young friend begin to fidget again. He had to admit part of him would love to see Dean actually try to pull this off.

"But Bobby, it's acting…" Dean used air quotes and made a face like he'd eaten something spoiled.

"It 'aint nothin' you haven't done before. How many times have you pretended to be a doctor, lawyer, FBI agent and I'm sure if we look back far enough, you probably even tried to be an Indian Chief at some time. This is no different." The hunter wheeled over to sit in front on Dean. "You can do this son."

Bobby watched as Dean shook his head before a slight grin crossed his face before he looked up at him. Green eyes sparkled with inner mischief as he handed the hunter a copy of the script. "Fine, then you get to help me study old man. Just start reading from right here…"

He looked down at the pages in his hand and felt his face flush. "You gotta be kidding!" Bobby objected.

"Nope, you get to play the role of Maria to my Tony. So who's singing 'I Feel Pretty' now?" Dean chuckled as Bobby sputtered. But not to be outdone Bobby read the first few lines before jumping in to sing the song.

"I feel pretty, Oh so pretty, I feel witty and pretty and…"

"Oh God, stop!" Dean howled as tears ran down his face. "There are just some things I never needed to experience and that there is it. Dude, I thought Sam was bad but seriously there's supposed to be a melody somewhere in there!"

Bobby laughed as he saw the chagrined look on his friends face. It didn't pass his notice that it had been a long time since he'd seen this side of Dean—too long. If had known doing something like this would have lightened the kids load he would have done it a long time ago. Glancing down at the script he grinned before he looked up and began to sing again. It was worth it to watch Dean break down and laugh as if there was no tomorrow. Yep, he'd have to remember to sing more often when things got too heavy for the boy to carry.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean walked into the dressing room and stopped as he noticed there were two make up tables in the room. He jumped as a voice sounded behind him. "You must be Dean James. I'm James Winters, but my friends just call me JW."

The hunter shook the man's hand before he cleared his throat. "So which one is yours?"

"Doesn't matter to me. Luckily this role doesn't require that much makeup. Just enough to cover the more obvious flaws—oh and then there will be the death scene but Veronica will help with all that stuff. She does everyone's makeup. "

"Oh, great!" Dean managed as he realized he had another reason to get even with Sam later. He hadn't said a word about wearing makeup. He watched as JW dropped his gym bag under one of the tables. "So this is probably old hat for you since you played this role before…" Dean prodded.

A sigh sounded before JW looked up with sad eyes. "Yeah, it turned out to be my big break but I still wish it had happened under different circumstances."

"What do you mean?" Dean sat down on the other chair and pretended to be reviewing the script.

"Joey died the night before we were supposed to open the play. It should have been his big night not mine." Dean could see the guilt in the young man's eyes as he stared off into the distance for a moment. "I often wonder what would have happened if he'd gone on instead of me."

"I'm sure it was your talent that got you ahead. It probably would have happened eventually." Dean replied. At first he has suspected that maybe JW had been involved with what had happened but now he wasn't so sure. The guy really seemed sorry about what happened.

"I suppose but for me it lost its appeal after my girlfriend died. There's been so much death, sometimes I wonder if I'm not cursed." JW replied before he shook his head and smiled. "But hopefully this production will go without a hitch. Is this your first time in a big production?"

"Yeah, I've mostly done smaller parts…" Dean flushed as he realized the man would be able to tell he wasn't experienced.

"Don't worry Dean. You'll have to learn everything but unless something happens to me, you won't need to face the crowd. It will be a great experience for you if you decide to pursue it further, we all had to start somewhere." JW stood and began to head for the door. "I'll see you on the stage in ten okay?"

"Sure JW." Dean replied as he decided to spend a few more moments on his lines, just in case. He didn't want to look bad, after all he did have a reputation to uphold and it would be worth it to see the look on his little brother's face when he nailed it. As he looked up he could have sworn he felt the temperature drop. He stood and turned but there was nothing there. The sound of paper hitting the floor caused him to whip around. The script he'd been studying just a moment before was now scattered all over the floor.

"Okay, whoever you are. Just so you know that wasn't even junior league. Come on out and lets do this face to face." The hunter waited but nothing happened. The room temperature seemed to return to normal as he continued to watch. "Stupid ghosts!" He replied as he quickly gathered the script and headed towards the stage. At least he'd found out one thing, there definitely was something supernatural going on and before he was through it would regret messing with him.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sam had spent the whole afternoon in the local library going through old newspaper clippings. Just like Tamara had stated, Rebecca Stoldt was found burned to death in the old prop room of the local theater. The fire and police assured the public that is had nothing to do with the previous death of one Joseph Freemont. Once again there was no indication of where Joseph had been buried or even who had claimed the body. Even the obituary wasn't helpful as it simply stated the actor's name followed by the phrase "no surviving relatives".

For a moment Sam gazed off into the distance. That had almost been him, could still be him if something happened to Dean. He'd always taken it for granted that when his time came there would be some part of his family left. But after Ruby's revelation and Dean's confirmation that everyone in their family was killed, there really would be nothing left after he and his brother were gone. Except for their legacy which if he had any say would not be the end of the world.

Squaring his shoulders he decided to follow up on reported accidents. He made note of each one along with the date and time it occurred. He also ran across an article written by a local newspaper person who decided to cover the 'haunted theater' for Halloween. Sam made a copy of it to review later as it might have more information. As he stood and stretched, he looked at his watch and realized his brother had been at the theater for hours now. If he was quick, he might actually get to catch a glimpse of his brother's humiliation. For once, he managed to get one up on his older brother and he for one was going to enjoy it.

The sound of music playing came from the foyer of the theater. Sam smiled as he recognized the song that would be sung by Tony. He listened closer as someone began to sing.

_Could be!..._

_Who knows?... _

_There's something due any day; _

_I will know right away, _

_Soon as it shows. _

_It may come cannon-balling down thru the sky, _

_Gleam in its eye, _

_Bright as a rose! _

_Who knows?..._

He stopped outside the door, his mouth open as he looked up on the stage. He couldn't believe it when he saw his brother standing beside a piano, a smirk on his face as he continued to sing. The young hunter couldn't help it as he moved inside and took a seat. As the practice continued, both Dean and James Winters took turns practicing each part along with the other actors. For a short time Sam was transported by the magical moment.

The smile on his brother's face was genuine. He moved with a grace across the stage that actually rivaled the more experienced actors. Of course, it shouldn't have really surprised the youngest Winchester; his brother was the master of playing a role. He did it with so much ease that Sam never really thought about it as a talent. For a moment he wondered what would have happened if things had been different. Would Dean have taken up the stage? It was clear he was a natural at it.

"He's really not bad…" Sam jumped as Tamara sat beside him.

"Yeah, he always amazes me." The young hunter answered honestly.

"So are you and he going to join us for drinks?" Tamara sat back and continued to watch the actors perform. Sam shrugged and nodded, too absorbed in the performance to really pay her much more attention. As he continued to watch he never noticed that above the actors something more deadly was taking place.

One minute he was watching his brother getting ready to kiss Maria and the next there was chaos as one of the heavy lights came crashing down. Sam jumped to his feet and began to run towards the stage. All he could see was the light sitting where a moment before his brother had been standing. "Dean!" Sam called out as he jumped onto the stage.

Everyone else had scattered but there were three bodies not moving. James Winters, the girl who was playing Maria and… "DEAN!"

TBC

Raven524: Mwahahahahahahaha, sorry just couldn't help myself. I had to do it honest! Did the light hit or is Dean just taking a time out? I wonder? Thanks for all the great reviews so far. You're all great! Don't worry, the next update should be up soon.


	3. Chapter 3 Ghost Stories

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 3 – Ghost Stories **

Sam quickly moved past the fallen light. He cringed as he noticed the dent in the wooden floor. That could have easily been his brother. He noticed that both James and Dean had an arm protectively across the unconscious actress. They must have seen what was going to happened and knocked the woman out of harms way. As he drew closer he could see signs of movement from all three. "Dean, are you okay?" Sam asked as he knelt next to his sibling.

"Whoa, I know they told me to break a leg but I thought that was just a suggestion…" Dean huffed as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Check the others Sammy, I'm fine."

Sam shook his head, it was clear that his brother wasn't exactly fine but he was awake and coherent so he'd leave him alone. He gently rolled over the young actress and noticed the bruise on her forehead. "I think she's just knocked out." Sam looked over at the others standing off stage. "Someone dial 911. She should be checked out…"

"I'll do it Sam." Tamara called as she quickly pulled out her cell phone.

Sam moved over to check on the other man. As he reached towards him, JW began to rouse. He blinked a few times before he groaned and rubbed a spot on his left leg. "Did you get hurt?" Sam asked as he knelt down and helped the injured man to sit up.

"Just a bruise I think—what the hell happened?" JW looked up at the cat walk before his gaze strayed back towards the heavy light. "Those things just don't fall off…"

"You sure you're okay JW?" Dean asked as he stood and walked to kneel beside the injured actress. He checked her pulse before he looked over at Sam. The look on his big brother's face clearly told him that they both suspected the same culprit.

"Yeah, don't worry Dean you won't have to go on for me yet?" JW grinned. "But you really could you know. I don't know why you didn't try for the lead. Once we're done here, I could get you in contact with my agent…" JW stood up and winced but was able to move with only a slight limp.

"Ah, sure, maybe. Why don't we try to just get to opening night in one piece first? Has this happened before?" Dean asked as he looked up and saw the others moving closer. Sam watched as his brother began to work the crowd. Maybe they'd get some answers before the paramedics and cops showed up.

"It's just rumors, there's nothing to that crazy article that was written last year." Marie Santiago stated as she rubbed her arms. She was playing the role of Anita in the play but of all the actors she seemed the least friendly. "We don't need anyone dredging up that garbage all over again."

"What stuff?" Dean asked as he stood and faced the woman. She backed up slightly but soon shrugged and continued.

"Oh there have been accidents. Mostly silly stuff. People tripping but claiming they were shoved. Construction workers who obviously weren't qualified, they caused a wall to collapse on some of the workers during the renovation. There's never been any proof of anything but just some bad luck or clumsy people." Maria finished with a flourish daring anyone to object.

"Well, I don't know if that's true Maria. What about Rebecca?" JW asked softly as he looked back towards the area of the old prop room. "I still don't buy she got trapped. The way the whole room was engulfed, electrical wiring wouldn't have caused such a big flame."

"Not that again. Look I know you're upset about your girlfriend but the firemen and police all checked it out. The building is old, the walls were like tinder waiting for a spark. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Maria placed her hand on JW's shoulder. "You have to let it go JW."

The actor stepped back and shook his head. "I don't care what you say Maria. It wasn't natural. I think I'm going to go find some ice to put on this bruise. If the police need me I'll be in my dressing room." JW didn't wait but quickly limped from the stage.

"So it sounds like you all might have some kind of haunting going on here…" Dean remarked as he looked at the others. Sam grinned as another actor stepped forward. The man ignored the glare he got from Maria before he spoke.

"I saw him…" Manuel said softly as he gazed upwards into the rafters.

"Saw who?" Sam couldn't help but ask as the others began to gaze up as well.

"Joey. He and I were good friends. We'd done a number of plays together over the years, even roomed together at one point. I never bought the story that he just slipped and fell." Manuel looked over at Maria and shook his head. "Not everything can be explained away chica. What about the four actors who died on opening night?"

Dean moved forward and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Why do you think he'd be around still? And why would he be trying to hurt us?"

Manuel looked at Dean for a moment, his face full of indecision before he finally shrugged and spoke. "This play is the one that would have been his big break. He found out there was going to be a talent scout in the audience on opening night and was really excited. In fact, he was sure the man would be his ticket to broadway. Of course JW ended up getting the break that was meant for Joey."

"Wait, so you think JW had something to do with it?" Sam asked quietly.

Manuel quickly shook his head. "Oh no! He was just as upset as the rest of us. In fact, the only reason he went on that night was in honor of Joey. Rebecca convinced him it was the best thing to do. She was so proud of him that night. It was such a tragedy—the night after JW asked her to marry him and come with him to New York she died in the fire."

"I wasn't here for that show but of course I'd read about what happened in the papers." Russell Bing piped in. "I never believe it until that time I saw someone or something that looked exactly like Joey sitting right over there." Russell pointed to the third seat in the front row. "It was opening night for South Pacific. I remember wondering why that seat had been empty but later found out the person who was to sit there had slipped in the lobby and injured their ankle."

"Like I said, clumsy people and bad luck." Maria stepped up again. "Why are you so interested Dean? Afraid you might be in the line of fire from a frustrated ghost?"

Dean smirked before he answered. "Sorry, it takes more than a few threats to scare me sweetheart. Believe me, there isn't much that frightens me or my brother here."

The sound of sirens brought an end to the conversation as paramedics and police entered the theater. It took a couple of hours for all the statements after which everyone decided to call it a night. Sam and Dean had waited around until the last few people prepared to leave.

"Well I guess it will have to be a rain check Sam. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow night after rehearsal?" Tamara said softly as she touched the young hunter's arm. Sam smiled and nodded while he ignored the smirk on his brother's face. He groaned inwardly as he felt a small piece of paper being slipped into his jean pocket. The young woman stood on her toes while pulling him down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You're invited too of course Dean." Tamara winked as she turned to leave.

"Sam, why don't you wait here for a minute? I want to grab something from my dressing room." Dean replied as he nodded towards the door. Sam knew his brother wanted him to make sure Tamara left and that the way was clear for them to do some recon work.

"Sure Dean, I'll just walk Tamara out." Sam moved to catch up with the young woman and placed his arm around her waist as they walked towards the front door. He watched as she left and walked down the street towards her apartment before he closed the door and made sure it was locked. A quick look around assured him they were finally alone.

"Is it safe to come out Sammy?" Dean's voice echoed in the now empty foyer.

"They're all gone if that's what you mean." Sam replied ignoring the obvious dig.

"I don't want to have to gouge my eyes out later. So you got her number huh Sammy?" Dean's eyes glittered. "I thought I was the one playing Romeo here? Wanna switch?"

Sam shook his head and grinned at his brother's antics. It was beginning to feel like old times. Deciding to play along he gave his brother the required eye roll and baby brother huff before he responded. "Do I have to remind you? Porno—real life…there is a difference Dean."

"Not in my book Sammy." Dean slapped his brother on the shoulder before he opened the duffle bag he'd retrieved from his dressing room. He pulled out two sawed off shotguns along with the EMF before he slung the bag over his shoulder. Sam took the gun that was offered.

"So catwalk or prop room first?" Sam asked as he began to follow his brother back into the theater.

"Well I say we start where the light fell from and work from there." Dean replied as he began moving the EMF around the room.

"We could split up and cover more ground Dean." Sam replied as he saw the EMF was silent.

Dean stopped and looked up at Sam. Once again it was like he was weighing his words before he spoke. "I don't think so Sam. We need to stick together…"

Sam sucked in a quick breath trying to hide the hurt. Obviously his brother still didn't trust him to be on his own. Anger warred with hurt until he finally shrugged and moved to walk up on the stage. "No problem Dean. I'll go up top while you check out the stage."

"Sammy…" Dean started but Sam simply turned and walked away. He didn't want to hear the excuse in the end it didn't matter. He had known he'd have to regain his brother's trust. That meant sucking it up and doing what he was told, for now anyway.

"It's okay Dean. I'll let you know if I find anything." Sam quickly began to climb before his brother could stop him.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean was frustrated. So far they'd only been here for one day and Sam was upset with him. Why couldn't he understand that it wasn't a matter of trust—well maybe if he was honest with himself it was a little; but after the light incident he didn't think either of them should be alone. Why did his brother always have to turn his words into something that he hadn't meant? Only one day and already he was tired of walking the tightrope with his moody sibling.

He glanced up and saw his brother investigating the brackets that held the light in place. For a moment, he held his breath as the catwalk swayed. Fearing something might be behind his brother he held up the EMF reader but nothing registered. He had to get a grip and concentrate on the hunt. Nothing had really changed. He always worried about Sam before and still was able to get the job done. This should be no different.

He ran the EMF over the light and nodded as the lights came to life. Something supernatural had definitely been involved; as if there was any question in his mind. He'd seen Sam's face when they'd listened to the actors recounting what had been happening here. There was no doubt in either of their minds that something was going on—something that they needed to figure out and put an end to before someone else got hurt.

"The brackets are bent Dean. This was no accident." Sam called down as he knelt on the narrow walkway. "I wonder why Joey was up here that night?" his little brother continued as he began to look around.

"Maybe he wanted to make sure the spot light would be on him?" Dean answered as he stepped back from the light and continued to run the EMF meter. "It sounds like he's playing the role of phantom of the opera here though. What did you find in your research geek boy?"

A soft sigh sounded from above before his brother answered. "Actually not much. The man's obituary was even nondescript. It was almost like he never existed—no family, no friends listed and there was no mention of a funeral…"

"Then who gave the obit to the paper Sammy?" Dean asked as he moved towards the back of the stage.

"I didn't have a chance to contact the paper yet. I thought I'd put Bobby on it when I got back." Sam answered as he knelt down again to look closer at something. Dean gazed up and watched as his brother picked up a piece of paper and gazed at it.

"Well that's interesting…" Sam's voice echoed eerily.

"What?" Dean asked as he moved to stand under the catwalk again.

"This playbill—it's not from the new production. It's from the one five years ago—crap!" Sam whirled and looked behind himself, the gun raised just as the EMF reader began to go off.

"Get down now!" Dean yelled as he also raised his gun and aimed at the shadowing figure taking form on the catwalk in front of Sam. The sound of the salt gun discharging was loud in the empty theater but at least the ghost had disappeared. The oldest Winchester watched as his brother reached for the paper he'd dropped when the ghost appeared. "Damn it Sammy get down here before…"

He never got a chance to finish the statement as he watched in horror. The apparition reappeared for a moment, the nebulous gray shape almost surrounding his brother as Sam struggled to bring the shotgun up. He heard the blast of the gun but not before he saw Sam pushed towards the narrow railing. His brother teetered for a moment and almost managed to right himself before with a slight scream he tipped over the edge.

TBC

Raven524: Okay, just a short update as work has been hectic. I know, another cliffie but I promise to update in a couple of days if not sooner. Thanks again to everyone who has responded to this story!


	4. Chapter 4 Meeting Joey

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 4 – Meeting Joey**

_Previously…_

He never got a chance to finish the statement as he watched in horror. The apparition reappeared for a moment, the nebulous gray shape almost surrounding his brother as Sam struggled to bring the shotgun up. He heard the blast of the gun but not before he saw Sam pushed towards the narrow railing. His brother teetered for a moment and almost managed to right himself before with a slight scream he tipped over the edge.

_And Now…_

Dean jumped back as the shotgun fell on the floor next to his feet. A moment later a white piece of paper landed next to it but so far, no gigantic brother had made an appearance. His heart in his throat the hunter let his eyes gaze upwards once more.

"Dude, you think you can give me a hand?" Sam huffed as he adjusted his grip on the edge of the catwalk. He could see his brother attempting to pull himself up, but for some reason he wasn't using his left arm.

"Dean? Anytime would be great—before Casper decides to finish what he started…" Sam called down with a soft groan.

Dean shook his head as he placed his shotgun inside his jacket and began to climb. He kept his eyes on the swinging figure while trying to watch the catwalk for a return appearance of the phantom. "Hold on Sammy, I'm coming."

His concern grew as no response came from his sibling. He glanced to see a look of pain on his brother's face. It was then he noticed the left arm hanging uselessly, the shoulder obviously out of joint. The pinched look on his brother's face along with the white knuckle grip on the edge of the swaying platform told him if he didn't get there quick, his brother would be joining the gun and paper on the floor.

"I'm coming Sammy, don't let go…" Dean moved faster than he thought possible up the remaining rungs on the ladder. He gazed around for a moment before he stepped out onto the walkway. It wouldn't do to have him follow his brother because Casper decided he wasn't done yet. He pulled his gun out and moved cautiously towards the area where his brother hung precariously.

The hunter knelt down and placed the gun within easy reach before he leaned over to look at the situation. The problem was his brother was huge and wouldn't be much help because of his injury. He could see the strain in his brother's good arm as he tried to maintain his grip. "You really do need to get over your Superman hero complex—I hate to break it to you but you really can't fly Dude."

Once again there was no response which made the older hunter glance around for a way to help his brother. His eyes lighted on the sandbags hanging nearby. He pulled his knife and still keeping his eye out for their own Phantom of the Opera, he quickly cut the rope holding a couple of the bags. He knotted them together until he had a long enough piece. Now all he had to do was get it around his dangling brother.

"D'n" Sam's voice croaked as he gripped tighter to the edge of the catwalk.

"I know, just try to hold still while I work this around your gianormous self." Dean wound his leg through the ropes holding the catwalk as he leaned over the edge. As he got closer he could hear the labored breathing. Deciding he had to make this quick, he managed to get the rope around Sam's chest and tied. Inching his way back onto the catwalk, he secured the other end to the opposite railing. At least Sam wouldn't fall.

"Okay, you can let go now Sam and I'll pull you up." Dean called down as he glanced around again. The shot gun was still close but he'd need both hands to pull his brother up. He glanced down and saw his brother still holding onto the catwalk. Moving towards the edge again he could see his brother was lost to the pain and stress of keeping his position. He tapped his brother's hand before he spoke softly. "Let go Sam, I've got you little brother."

Hazel eyes gazed upwards and blinked for a moment before with a slight shudder his brother let go of the edge and grabbed for the rope holding him. Dean moved back and began to pull his brother to safety. As Sam's head and shoulders appeared above the edge, he saw him reach with his good hand to leverage himself up. "That's it Sammy, almost…"

Dean felt the sudden drop in temperature before he saw the gray form moving quickly towards them. He caught his brother's eye for a moment and knew he understood that he'd have to hang on while Dean let go of the rope. The next second found the hunter diving for the gun and pulling it up to his shoulder just as the ghost stood over his sibling. Without waiting, he pulled the trigger and watched as the ghost screamed and disappeared.

Without waiting to see if the specter returned, Dean finished pulling his younger sibling up until he was laying face down on the catwalk. He could see the tremors running through his brother's frame as the youngest Winchester fought to regain his strength. Dean placed a calming hand on his brother's shoulder before he stood and realized he'd left the shot gun at the other end of the catwalk. "Stay put Sammy, I'll just grab the gun and then we'll figure out a way to get you back to the ground floor."

He had just reached down to pick up the gun when he heard his brother's warning shout "Dean, we've got company!"

He glanced down and saw his sibling shivering on the catwalk. His body was lying face down in the center, his hand grasping the opposite edge of the plank as the grayish mist once again approached and surrounded his injured sibling. "Sammy!" Dean yelled as he pulled the shot gun up to aim. "I can't get a clear shot!"

"Justtttt….dddoooo…iitttt" Sam stuttered as his grip on the catwalk planking tightened. Dean had to do something before the irate ghost tossed his brother over the side again.

"Not this time you son of a bitch!" Dean took a calming breath before he pulled the trigger. He aimed high, hoping most of the salt pellets would miss his brother as he struggled to maintain his grip. With a loud shriek the ghost once more disappeared. Not wanting to make the same mistake, he placed the shot gun under his arm and moved quickly towards his unmoving sibling.

"Sammy?" Dean said softly as he moved closer. He could see the small holes in his brother's shirt where the rock salt had penetrated. A moment of guilt stabbed him as he realized he had added to his brother's injuries. It had been too close. A few more inches and he would have hit Sam's head. "Come on, I think we've had enough fun for one night. Let's get you back to Bobby and see if we can't figure out where this son of a bitch is buried. I'm tired of letting him play with us."

The older hunter sighed with relief as he saw Sam nod and slowly push himself to his feet. His eyes were shut in pain for a brief moment before he squared his shoulders and tried to stand. Dean knew with his shoulder out, getting down the ladder would be almost impossible. "Okay, this is what we're going to do. I'd like to set your shoulder, but Casper might decide to come play. So I'll start down and you come down in front of me. I'll guide you…"

"M'kay" Sam whispered as he staggered towards the ladder. Dean was surprised there was no argument. Lately his brother had wanted to take the lead and make all the decisions. He tried to get a better look at his brother, but Sam bowed his head hiding his expressive eyes from sight. Sighing, he realized his brother was still hiding things from him. But he'd worry about his sibling's regression back to little brother mode after they were safely back on the ground. He grabbed the gun and placed it inside his jacket before he began the laborious task of getting them back to the floor below.

An hour later found Dean helping his exhausted sibling from the car and into their room. He had just lowered Sam to the bed when he heard a sound from the connecting room. "It's about time you idjits…" A soft gasp filled the room. "What the hell?"

"Sammy decided to try his flying skills—he obviously needs more practice." Dean quipped as he gently removed the button down shirt from his brother's frame. He could see that the swollen joint was going to make getting the T-shirt off painful. He pulled out the scissors from their first aid kit and quickly cut the shirt from his brother's body.

"At this rate, I'm gonna need to do a Walmart run…" Sam said softly as he flinched at the gentle fingers examining his shoulder. It was the first words his brother had spoken since the attack. Dean sighed with relief, he had been concerned his brother had been injured worse than he was letting on.

"Looks like you got hit by buckshot too." Bobby remarked as he wheeled over to the bed. "You forget to duck?"

"Naw, he was too busy kissing the floor. Casper just got a little too close…" Dean replied as he saw his brother sway slightly. "So what say we get your shoulder fixed and then get you the good stuff huh Sammy?" Dean stood back and let his brother make the decision. In the past he would have just taken charge, but he'd noticed that his brother normally took care of his own injuries now.

Hazel eyes glanced up as a grimace passed over the sweat soaked face. "Just do it Dean."

Without waiting for more, Dean stepped forward and with a quick thrust, popped the shoulder back in place. He heard the indrawn breath and could feel the tremors as his brother managed the pain. He smiled as a glass appeared along with a couple of white pills. "This should help." Bobby said simply. "After he's out, we can clean up the mess on his back. No sense making him feel more pain."

"M'fine…" Sam slurred as he swayed again. Dean chuckled as he helped his brother take the pills and then helped him to lie on his good side.

"Sure you are. But just humor us okay. Bobby could you…" Dean smiled as his friend was already wheeling towards the door, an ice bucket in his hand.

"I got it—anything else you want princess?" Bobby quipped as he paused before exiting.

"Well, if you see Angelina Jolie in the parking lot—I wouldn't argue if you brought her back…" He laughed as he heard his friend muttering under his breath before the door slammed shut. He looked down and saw the slight grin on his brother's face.

"What? It could happen…" Dean replied as he held his hands out.

"Only if your name happened to be Brad Pit." Sam said softly before he groaned and closed his eyes. "Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"We really need to find his body and burn him before someone else gets hurt." Sam replied as he blinked slowly.

"Did you find anything at the Library?" Dean asked as he pulled a chair up and sat beside the bed. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Sam fell asleep. Between the medication and his injuries, he was surprised he was still able to talk.

Sam shook his head. "Noth'ng—'cept an article" A yawn escaped as hazel eyes began to blink slowly. "have to have Bobby…" Dean smiled as his brother finally lost the battle to stay awake. He already knew they needed to follow up on who submitted the obituary. It was clear that no one would be safe until they could put Joey to rest.

The door opened slowly as Bobby entered, an ice bucket balanced between his knees. His gaze moved towards the sleeping form on the bed. "Out for the count already?"

Dean nodded. "Never could hold his liquor or pain pills and don't even get me going on what he's like on morphine…"

"Well we best get him fixed up before the drugs wear off. No sense making him suffer more." Bobby rolled over towards the bed. A short time later, both men sat at the small table in the room each with a bottle of beer. Dean had filled Bobby in on everything that had happened so far.

"So did you get a good look at him? Was it Joseph?" Bobby asked.

"It's weird; he never really formed enough for me to see. Maybe Sammy got a better look." Dean looked down as he remembered how close it had been. For a moment he felt the old feelings of fear and guilt pressing down on him. He should have never let Sam go up there alone. A hand on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts.

"No need to go down that road again boy. There was nothing you could have done. You know sooner or later you have to let him fly solo." Bobby raised the beer to his lips and took along drink. "Besides, you were almost killed by the light falling. It's the nature of the job, not anyone's fault."

"I know Bobby…" Dean paused and looked over at the lump on the bed before he continued. "Just old habits and after everything that's happened…"

Dean saw his old friend gaze at him for a moment before he rose and looked over at the bed. "You know, all of us let him down in our own way. After you were—gone—ah, well let's just say that Jack and I got too friendly."

"It's not your fault…" Dean started and jumped as Bobby turned on him, his eyes blazing.

"There's enough blame to go around here. Sam screwed up by trusting a demon, you made a deal with one and God help me but for a short time, I actually believed that Ruby bitch myself. Then we have your friends the angels who didn't seem to be able to do squat—they let this happen. All I know is you boys need to get your heads back in the game and stop worrying about what can't be changed." Bobby wheeled over to the bed and adjusted the ice pack they had placed on Sam's shoulder. His gnarled fingers gentle as they pulled the cover up over the sleeping Winchester's chest.

Dean swallowed as he realized his friend was right. He thought he'd moved on, but part of him was still angry with the choices both he and Sam had made. It was time for him to let them both off the hook. The only problem was, could Sam move on?

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sam groaned softly as he struggled back from his drugged sleep. He blinked a few times before he realized he seemed to be alone in the room. He turned his head towards the bathroom but the light was dark. He winced as his injured arm reminded him that using it was probably not a good idea as he tried to push himself up in the bed. "Dean? Bobby?" Sam called out but was met with silence.

He stood on shaky legs and headed for the door to their room. He opened it and glanced outside only to find the Impala was missing. Turning back into the room he noticed Dean's bed hadn't been slept in and by the looks of things, he had slept through the night and well into the morning. As the time registered, he realized Dean must have gone over to the theater. There had been a mention of an additional rehearsal to make up for the interrupted one yesterday.

The young hunter sighed as he realized they were no closer to solving the problem than before. The play was due to open in a few days and unless they could find where Joey was buried, there was likely going to be more accidents. He rubbed his shoulder as he moved towards the bathroom. A hot shower was in order and then he'd hit the computer to see if he could find out who picked up Freemont's remains.

As the hot water cascaded down tired muscles he thought about the ghost that had attacked him. It was weird but he had felt that when the specter had first appeared, it was like it was trying to communicate. He remembered seeing the actor's lips move, but there had been no words only a soft moaning. As it drew closer, he remembered the feeling of cold hands shaking him as if it was trying to get his attention but when he pulled his gun, he had felt the change. The now angry spirit had grabbed him by the arm with enough strength to hoist him over the railing. He could still feel the angry pop from his shoulder as it was wrenched from the socket. Yet, it wasn't strong enough to speak—there was definitely more going on here than they originally thought.

If the ghost was trying to communicate, maybe they should try to talk to it. The young hunter snorted as he realized his brother would never go for the idea—he would rather shoot and burn the bastard than try to hold a conversation. Besides, even though Dean said they were equal partners, he still didn't trust him enough to allow him to lead. He knew he deserved the distrust but was at a loss as to how to regain what he'd lost.

The young hunter left the bathroom and began the painful process of getting dressed. He pulled out an old sling they kept for this kind of injury and placed it on his sore arm before moving towards the table. As he began typing, he wondered briefly what Bobby was up to. As if responding to his thoughts, the inner door opened and the grizzled hunter entered carrying a bag of food on his lap.

"Well look who finally decided to join the livin'!" Bobby remarked as he moved closer to the startled hunter.

"You or Dean should have woken me up before he left Bobby. He shouldn't be at the theater alone…" Sam groused as he took the bag from the other man.

Bobby shook his head before he pulled out his own hamburger and fries. "Your brother will be just fine Sam. He figured it would be better to let your arm rest up so you can help out later when you'll be needed."

Sam looked down at his injured arm with a soft sigh. "I guess he's right—I'd be a liability to him right now with this arm the way it is…"

The young hunter jumped as a hand clasped his good arm in a vice-like grip. "Don't you dare go down that path of self pity ya idgit! You certainly ain't no liability but you are injured and your brother is right—you needed the rest." Bobby paused and gentled his touch. "You know Sam, sometimes a stone is just a stone—ain't no hidden gem inside."

"I know Bobby. It's just…" Sam clammed up. The issue of trust was between him and Dean. Besides, the older hunter was right. He had to stop feeling sorry for himself and carry his own weight. Maybe then Dean would realize he was in this for the long term and not just out for revenge.

"So, did Dean fill you in on what happened?" Sam decided to change the subject before his old friend dug too deep.

Bobby paused for a moment before responding. "You know you don't have to handle things alone anymore—neither does that brother of yours. I may be a cripple but I can still—ah hell, you know what I mean…" Sam grinned as Bobby turned his head away before continuing. "I made a few phone calls, but so far there is no lead on where the son of a bitch is buried. I spoke to the newspaper but the obit was submitted by the owner of the theater. The coroner wasn't much help either—he just remembered the person who called to make arrangements was female. For some reason the damn idjit didn't write down the name of the funeral home, so I guess the next step is to call all the ones in the area to see if they received the body."

"Sounds like a plan. I thought I'd review the story written last October on the haunting, maybe even call on the reporter to see if there was anything omitted from the article. Did Dean say when he'd be back?" Sam began to eat his own sandwich while he waited for the computer to boot up.

"Should be anytime now—in fact, he should be back already, he said he'd catch up with us over lunch…" Both hunters jumped as Sam's cell phone rang.

Sam frowned at the unfamiliar number as he answered. "Hello?"

"Sam? This is Tamara. You need to get to the theater, something's happened to your brother!"

TBC

Raven524: Wow, RL has really kept me tied down lately. Happy Holidays (can't believe they are here already!) and I come with a belated gift. Yes, finally an update. I hope it doesn't disappoint!


	5. Chapter 5 The Plot Thickens

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 5 – The Plot Thickens**

Previously…

Sam frowned at the unfamiliar number as he answered. "Hello?"

"Sam? This is Tamara. You need to get to the theater, something's happened to your brother!"

And Now…

Sam impatiently paced in the small emergency room of the local hospital. Tamara had told him they took his brother to the hospital so whatever had happened had to be serious. He rubbed his sore shoulder and wondered what the spirit had done this time. The vision of another light falling and hitting his brother kept replaying in his mind. This time, Dean hadn't been so lucky.

"They aren't goin' to be any faster with you pacing boy. Sit down before you fall down." Bobby's terse command made him stop and gaze once more at the swinging doors. With a final sigh he sat down beside his friend.

"Tamara didn't say what happened at the theater Bobby and they won't tell me anything!" Sam groused as he looked over at the door again.

"Well no news is good news. If he were serious they'd be out here getting all kinds of forms signed…"

Sam ran a hand through his hair before he leaned back and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Yeah I guess you're right Bobby. It's just…I should have been there…"

Bobby's response was interrupted by the swinging of the doors as a man with gray hair and dark rimmed glasses approached them. "Family of Dean James?"

"Here! How's my brother doc?" Sam stood and swayed for a moment before he managed to get himself under control.

"He's being stitched up now. We ran some tests and everything looks okay, just a nasty concussion. We wanted to keep him for observation but he's refusing to stay…" The doctor looked up at Sam expectantly. It was obvious he was looking for him to talk his brother into staying.

"My uncle and I can look after him doc. How soon before he can go?" Sam saw the man shrug as he made a notation on his chart.

"He can leave as soon as they finish with the stitches. You'll have to keep a close eye on him; any problems bring him directly back. Head wounds are nothing to horse around with young man."

"My uncle was a medic in the Corps—he'll know what to look for." Sam glanced at Bobby and grinned as his friend sat up straighter in the chair.

"Yeah, I've had plenty of practice looking after idjits…" Bobby said as he rolled closer to the doctor. "I know what to look for, don't worry."

Sam laughed softly before turning back to the doctor. "Can I see him?"

"They're almost done. I'll have the nurse come get you when he's ready to go." The doctor nodded briefly before he went back into the ER.

"See boy, nothing to worry about. We all know Winchesters have thick skulls so the boy should be fine." Bobby wheeled back towards the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chairs. "Now get your butt over here and plant it. I don't want to be looking after two of you!"

"Yes Sir!" Sam replied and winced slightly at the impact of the man's hat on his wounded back. The buckshot hadn't penetrated too deep, but the bruising was pretty severe. The pain in his back was almost as bad as his shoulder but he pushed it to the back of his mind. As he sat down, he wondered what had happened. With the play beginning shortly, they were quickly running out of time—and Winchesters.

Earlier that day…

Dean smiled as he stepped back from kissing "Maria". The actress was a bit bashful for his tastes, but he had to admit getting to kiss the prettiest girl in the cast wasn't a bad gig.

"Good job Dean!" The director remarked as he turned and looked at JW.

"Okay JW, I think we're good with this scene—why don't you and Dean take a break while I work with the boys on the fight scene."

"Sure think Wilson. I think I'll go grab a bite at the diner up the street—you want to join me Dean?"

"No thanks. I think I'll just go back to the dressing room and go over my lines for this afternoon."

JW placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Trying to outdo me huh?"

"No—I just…" Dean stuttered a bit. He couldn't tell the guy that this was a one shot thing and no way was he going to ever put foot on the stage when the theatre was full of strangers. Horsing around was one thing, but he couldn't do this for a living!

"It's okay. I understand you want to be prepared. Don't worry Dean, you'll do just fine. But take some advice. Don't over study; you'll only make yourself more nervous." JW winked as he called out to some of the other cast to join him. Dean shook his head as he walked slowly back towards the dressing room. So far today there had been no sign of Joey, but it was early yet. He couldn't help but gaze up at the catwalk as he left the stage. He hoped Sam and Bobby would have better luck at finding the man's remains. The sooner they could salt and burn his body, the sooner they could get out of Dodge.

He moved quietly into the dressing room and smiled when he found it empty. He knew he'd felt something the other day and wanted some time to check it out. Maybe he'd even check out the old props room as well. He pulled out the EMF reader and hid the sawed off under his leather jacket. As he scanned the room, he frowned. "So where are you hiding today huh?"

Moving quietly through the silent back stage area he noticed the blackened doorway that must lead into the old prop room. As he got closer he smiled as he saw the EMF reader begin to sound. He turned it off and slowly opened the damaged door. As he stepped inside, the smell of burnt wood and dust filled his nose. He sneezed a couple of times before he moved in further. He could still see the place where the fire had burned the hottest. He had to agree, from the pattern of the burn marks, this was not a natural blaze.

"So why did you kill Becky?" Dean said softly as he began to sort through the ashes. He stopped as the door behind him slammed shut. He could feel the air around him getting cold as he pulled out the shot gun. "Okay, you want to play some more Joey?"

He turned and saw the same grayish form from before only this time is slowly began to take shape. He could see the handsome actor, dressed the same way he'd been when he died. The ghost didn't attack but rather stood and looked at Dean as if he wanted something from him.

"So why are you hurting people Joey? Why don't you just go and follow the light or move on?" Dean backed away slightly while keeping the gun trained on the specter.

A low moan was the only response he got from Joey. He took a closer look and noticed the rope burns around the man's neck. "You hung yourself? That why you can't talk?" Dean said softly as he tried to figure out why the ghost wasn't attacking him.

The ghost pointed behind him and moaned again, his face suddenly filling with anger. Dean backed up another step as he raised the gun once more, his finger on the trigger. "Whoa there Joey, as much as I'd like to play charades with you—I think its time—what the hell!"

Dean felt himself thrown as the shot gun was ripped from his hands. Before he could move he heard something move above him and tried to cover his head before a pile of wooden shelves rained down on him. The last thing he saw before lights out was the spirit of Joey moving towards him.

Sam glanced sideways at his brother as they drove back towards the hotel. It was clear his brother wasn't totally with them as he softly hummed his favorite tune by Metalica, his dark glasses a shield against the light. "You okay Dean?" Sam asked for the hundredth time since he had been allowed to see his brother.

There was a large gash on the side of his head. Luckily they had been able to stitch it closed without taking too much hair. If you didn't look close, the stitching was nicely hidden. But the pale face and unfocused gaze were sure signs all was not well with his older brother. And then there was the singing. It was almost like his brother had decided to ignore the world for awhile.

The young hunter glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Bobby shrug as Dean continued to hum softly to himself. "I don't think he's with us kid." Bobby said as his eyes swung back to the injured man. "But then they did give him something for the pain. It could just be the meds combined with the knock on the head. We'll just let him rest once we get him back to the hotel."

"Yeah, but he still hasn't been able to tell me what happened. We have to do something before the ghost hurts someone else…" Sam ran a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out the best way to continue. Dean was out of commission for at least the rest of the day and Bobby—well he could help with the research but couldn't do much at the theater. That left it up to Sam to try to handle things until his big brother got back on his feet.

"You aren't thinkin' what I think you are…" Bobby spoke from the back seat.

"Well you tell me how we are going to figure out where the bones are buried if we don't try and talk to the other cast members? So far everything else is a bust." Sam slapped the steering wheel in frustration. "And the bastard hurt Dean, Bobby. First it was the light and now who knows what he threw at him or hit him with but the next time we might not be so lucky!"

Bobby sat back and rubbed his chin. "Has anyone other than you two idjits been hurt this time?"

"Well JW was bruised and the girl who plays Maria has a mild concussion…"

"But Dean was standing there when the light fell, so it could have been aimin' for him." Bobby sat forward. "What if Dean was the target?"

"Why would Joey want to go after Dean? I mean he's only been there for a few days?" Sam paused and looked over at his brother who was listing to the side, his head now resting on the cool window. The humming thankfully had stopped. "Unless, it's because he's playing the stand in?" Sam said more to himself than their friend.

"I just think it's strange that the more violent attacks seem to be at you two rather than the other actors." Bobby remarked as he leaned back in the seat. "We must be missing something…"

Sam sighed as they pulled up in front of the hotel. "Well all I know is we haven't been able to figure out where Joey is buried and at this point the reason for the violence doesn't really matter. Tamara will be expecting me to help her finish up before the final rehearsal tomorrow. Are you up for some babysitting?"

"Now you know your brother isn't gonna want you to go off on your own…" Bobby started but stopped.

The young hunter let his shoulders drop for a moment as realized he had to earn back trust with Bobby as well as Dean. He'd really messing things up. But how could he prove to them he was able to hunt without a watchdog if they never let him? The old frustrations and anger burst from him as he clenched his teeth.

"Dean is injured and we have a ghost who may or may not want to kill one of the actors. We're running out of time and out of options. But if you see something I've missed—just tell me Bobby. Otherwise step out of my way. We came to do a job and I intend to make sure we do it." Sam opened the door and stepped from the car.

He took a deep breath as he tried to quell the sudden rage that was threatening to engulf him. As he heard the other car door open his gaze traveled to see his brother trying to pull himself from the car. Before he could take a step, his knees began to give way. Luckily Sam managed to get there before his brother could do a face plant.

"Where do you think you're going big brother?" Sam asked softly as he placed an arm over his shoulder. He looked back at Bobby and received a nod of understanding. He'd get Dean inside and come back for the other hunter.

"Sammy?" Dean whispered

"Yeah, it's me. Just hold on and I'll get you to the room." Sam maneuvered them through the door and had Dean sitting on the bed before his brother spoke again.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure Dean. What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked as he gently removed his brother's boots and began to push him back onto the bed.

Dean squinted for a moment and ran a hand over his head before he winced. "I'm hurt?"

"It just a scratch Dean. The doc stitched it up and did some tests. You're still in one piece." Sam said softly as he began to pull the blanket over his brother's still form. He could see his brother was trying to piece things together but was having trouble. The youngest hunter decided to just let his brother try to get some sleep. He slowly began to rise from the bed when he heard his brother's voice.

"Tell Dad---" Sam paused and looked down at his brother. Green eyes blinked lazily back up at him.

"What Dean?" the young hunter prodded.

"Tell Dad---s'too cold here—smells funny—and I don't like charades anymore—Casper cheated…" Dean said softly as he closed his eyes, his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

Sam sat back and shook his head. His brother wasn't making any sense, but then a concussion would do that to you. He stood and quickly left to get Bobby inside. The sooner he got him and his brother settled, the sooner he could go and see what really happened to Dean.

"We found him in the old property room Sam. Do you know what he was doing in there? I mean, no one is supposed to be in there…" Tamara spoke as she mixed the paint they would be using to put finishing touches on some of the scenery.

Sam shrugged and decided to stick to the truth. "He doesn't really remember much. Maybe he heard something?"

The young girl shook her head. "Well it wouldn't surprise me with all the goings on around here. I'm sorry he got hurt though. You sure he's gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, luckily he has a hard head. Just a few stitches and some rest. I'm not sure if he'll make it for the dress rehearsal tomorrow though." Sam added as he began to work on the scene in front of him. "Guess it was lucky JW didn't get hurt huh?"

Tamara paused briefly before she continued to work. Her lips were pursed for a moment before she turned to look at Sam. "You two aren't just passing through are you?"

The young hunter stopped and looked at the young woman in front of him. She stood with her hands on her hips; eyes slightly squinted as she sized him up. "You're one of those ghost buster type folk aren't you. Like the ones on the TV show?"

Sam sighed. It was clear she wasn't going to believe their original storyline so he decided for something in between. "You said your Grandma warned you about things in the dark—evil things?"

Tamara nodded. "Yes, she did and I do believe…" She paused and pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "I know I saw Joey more than once, but he never hurt me…."

"You've seen him? Have you been able to talk to him?" Sam stepped forward and placed the paint brush back in the can. He wiped his hands and waited to see if Tamara would trust him enough to tell him about what she'd experienced.

"So what if I have? It's not like he was doing any harm. Most times I think he just likes to watch…especially when Maria—that's the actress who is playing Anita this time." The girl paused and then continued as Sam nodded and leaned against the wall behind him. "Well they kinda had a thing going on when he was…" She looked around as if she thought Joey would materialize in front of them.

"They were lovers?" Sam asked quietly.

Tamara nodded. "Yeah, but her Daddy didn't like Joey. Said he wasn't any good. He wanted her to marry someone who could support her. That and Joey had no family. His parents and younger brother died in a car crash. He had been raised by his Grandma who passed on a few years ago."

"So you think he's here to watch Maria?" Sam said as he stood up and looked up at the catwalk. "Then why would he be hurting people?" He couldn't help reaching up to rub his sore arm. He wasn't wearing the sling and it ached. But so far he'd managed to keep it fairly immobile.

The young artist chewed on her lower lip. "I really don't know. I thought about holding a séance to see if I could talk him into moving on but Maria said no. She says he's already at peace."

A light bulb went off as Sam realized who the woman must have been who took Joey's body. "Tamara, do you know where they buried Joey?"

He watched as the woman shifted nervously before she looked up at him. "I'm not supposed to say—if her Daddy found out…"

"I won't tell him I promise." Sam replied as he grasped her slender shoulders. "But I need to know where he is so we can make sure he is at rest. You yourself have seen him. All we want is for him to be at peace and for everyone here to be safe."

Tamara looked up at Sam as if she was sizing him up. A moment later she nodded her head. "I guess it's time something was done. I mean, if he hurt Dean…and all the others." She looked around to make sure no one was nearby before she leaned in closer.

"Maria buried him in the family plot. She said she used her distant cousin's name of Manuel so that her father would never suspect if he looked." She sighed. "It was sad really, Maria and I were the only ones to attend the funeral. Maybe that's why he's restless—we should have just buried him regular with everyone attending…"

Sam squeezed her shoulders. "I'm sure that isn't the reason he's still here. We think it has something to do with the play itself. Since West Side Story is the one that was playing when he was killed, it's more likely his staying behind has something to do with that than where he was buried."

"So you are a ghost buster then?" Tamara smiled as she gazed up at him. "You hunt spirits and put them to rest?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, my brother and I have been doing it for a number of years now. You might call it the family business."

"Wow, it sounds exciting!" Tamara grinned.

Sam reached up and touched his shoulder again before he responded. "I wouldn't exactly call it fun but it does have its moments."

"Can I help?" Tamara asked as she dropped her brush into the can and wiped her hands on her jeans.

"You can show me where you found Dean. Then you can just keep your eyes open for me. But if you see Joey, do me a favor and run. He's not stable anymore Tamara—he could hurt you." Sam watched as the woman nodded before she turned and headed for the back stage area.

"Okay, follow me Sam…"

Sam opened the hotel door and entered with the takeout he'd picked up on the way back. He winced as the drinks he carried strained his sore shoulder. "Hey Bobby, a hand here?"

He smiled as his friend quickly wheeled over and took the food from him. "About time you got back…"

"How is he?" Sam nodded at Dean while he shrugged out of his jacket. He'd stopped off at the cemetery on the way back and found the grave site. He'd have to wait until later tonight before he could dig it out and burn the bones.

"Sleeping like a baby…except for the odd humming he'd been doing. Almost sounded like something from the play he's been practicing for." Bobby grumbled good heartedly as he pulled out his own sandwich.

Sam sat down and grabbed his own meal while he gazed at his injured brother. "So he hasn't been awake much then?"

"Only when I forced him to, but I think he's okay Sam. Just needs to rest. I'm sure by tomorrow you two will be buttin' heads again." Bobby paused before he continued, his eyes moving to the silent figure on the bed. "You figure out who hurt your brother?"

"I'm still guessing it's our friend Joey. Turns out he might be sticking around not just because he was killed but also because one of the actresses who works there was his girlfriend." Sam bit into sandwich and smiled as he saw his friends eyes grow wider.

"I don't suppose you got a location of where he's buried?" Bobby remarked as he continued to eat his own meal.

"Yep, and I checked it out. The cemetery isn't too far from here. Do you think you can watch Dean for a bit longer?" Sam watched as his friend's eyes narrowed.

"You're not doing the salt and burn on your own boy."

"Well what would you suggest? Do you think we should wait until opening night? That's tomorrow night Bobby. We gotta get rid of this ghost now before someone else gets hurt." Sam stood and moved to sit on the bed beside his brother. He gently turned his brother's head and nodded at the way the sutures looked. He let his finger linger for a moment, checking for fever and smiled when there was none.

He stood and walked back to the table. "Dean isn't in any shape to do it…"

"How're you going to dig Sherlock…" Sam jumped as he heard Dean's voice from the bed. He watched as his brother tried to sit up before groaning and falling back onto the mattress.

"A shovel?" Sam replied as he moved closer to check his brother over. "How are you feeling Dean?"

"Like I got hit by a damn bookcase. God I hate ghosts—especially emo ones. Maybe you'd have better luck with your whole emo thing going on Sammy." He winced as Sam sat on the bed.

"Do you remember what happened?" Sam asked as he chose to ignore the dig.

Dean swallowed and smiled as Bobby appeared with a glass of water. He took a few sips before lying back down. His eyes closed for a moment and Sam thought his brother had fallen back asleep but just as he was going to rise he heard him speak.

"One minute I was trying to communicate with Joey and the next I went flying into the stack of shelves or the bookcase—I couldn't tell as I was busy trying not to pass out. I swear the damn Casper was trying to talk to me but then he threw me into the wall—it just doesn't make sense." Dean shook his head but stopped and swallowed as his face paled.

Sam reached over and grabbed a couple of the pain relievers from the night stand and helped Dean sit up. He watched as his brother took the pills with a soft sigh. "Next thing I knew, I woke up here with some fuggly old man trying to waking me up…"

Bobby huffed before he turned his wheelchair around and headed back to the table. "You're lucky I was gentle. Next time I'll use ice water to wake your ungrateful hide."

Dean grinned as he began to lie back down on the bed. His hand grabbed Sam's arm as the young hunter tried to rise. "You can't go out there alone Sammy. How you gonna dig and handle a gun with that arm?"

Sam stood and sighed. "What do you want me to do Dean? If we wait until you're feeling better someone else could get hurt. I can do this—trust me Dean." The young hunter stepped back and waited for his brother's response. As the minutes ticked by he felt his heart sink. There was no way his brother was going to trust him—it was too soon. He jumped when Dean cleared his throat and looked past him toward their friend.

"You'll take Bobby with you to watch." Dean said as he closed his eyes with a soft groan.

"But Dean…" Sam began. He didn't like leaving his brother in this condition.

"You take Bobby or you wait for me. The choice is yours Sam. Either way, you don't go alone…it's not safe." Dean's voice was winding down but a small grin lit his face just before his eyes closed as he heard Bobby's reply.

"Did anyone think to ask me if I wanted to go?! I'm still here you know!"

TBC

Raven524: Well once again time has gotten away from me. RL is just killing me lately with no time to do much but work. Of course, I'm not complaining—well not much anyway since it does pay the bills. But I did manage to actually find some time to continue with the story. So what do you think? Will Sam go alone? Will Dean pull himself up and help or will Bobby save the day? Guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out! Thanks again for the gentle nudges and inquiries about this story. I appreciate the vote of confidence! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Now on to finish the next chapter—I can't wait to see what happens next, can you? *grins*


	6. Chapter 6 Curtain Call for Joey

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 6 – Curtain Call for Joey**

_Previously…_

"You take Bobby or you wait for me. The choice is yours Sam. Either way, you don't go alone…it's not safe." Dean's voice was winding down but a small grin lit his face just before his eyes closed as he heard Bobby's reply.

"Did anyone think to ask me if I wanted to go?! I'm still here you know!"

_And Now…_

Sam pulled the Impala up as close as he could to the grave site. Luckily the plot was on the back side of the cemetery so no one would see the car from the street. "I'll get your chair and the equipment…" the young hunter said quietly as he exited the car.

He hadn't spoken much to Bobby or Dean after it was decided for him that he couldn't handle this alone. While part of him realized his brother had a point, with his current injuries the dig would be difficult enough without worrying about being blind sided by a ticked off ghost. The other part resented that once again he was being dictated to as if he were a rookie. He couldn't help but think neither Dean nor Bobby thought he was ready to hunt alone. They didn't trust him to not sneak off someplace for a little fix before finishing the task at hand.

Bobby also had been unusually quiet on the trip over. Even now, he simply sat and waited for Sam to get his chair. He easily transferred over to it while Sam went back to the truck to get the rest of the supplies they would need. "Here you go Bobby." Sam replied as he handed him a sawed off and a small pouch that contained extra salt rounds.

A soft groan escaped his lips as he tried to swing the duffle over his sore shoulder. "Idjit—put it on my lap. I can at least help carry. No sense straining yourself before you get to dig…" Bobby groused. Sam took a closer look at his friend and noticed the strain on his face. It had never occurred to him how Bobby would feel about the situation. He'd been too wrapped up in his own pity party.

"You'll do fine Bobby. Dean was right; you're the best man for the job. Thanks for coming…" Sam stood back and placed his hands on the chair.

"You through with the girlie talk? Let's get a move on boy. We've got a ghost to get rid of and a grouchy Winchester to check on. Now give me the bag and get a move on. I ain't got all night!" Bobby ground out as he continued to face ahead and look into the cemetery.

The young hunter blushed at the obvious rebuke as he placed the bag on Bobby's lap. He should have realized the old hunter wouldn't accept his gratitude or his help. The only one who could talk sense to the old man was Dean. Taking a quick look around, he began to push the wheelchair towards the grave site. It took a little maneuvering but eventually he had Bobby in position. He was far enough back that the ghost hopefully wouldn't be able to throw him into the grave but close enough to cover Sam's back.

Sam shook his head as he pulled the shovel from his bag and got ready to dig. His shoulder was already aching and he hadn't even started yet. "You need help boy? If not, lets get on with it…you know that brother of yours won't stay put if we take too long. I practically had to tie him to the bed to keep him from riding along."

"Yes Sir!" Sam replied and hurried to his task. He grinned as he heard the soft "idjit" muttered by his friend.

The first few shovels of dirt were easy, but as he got deeper the ground became harder and required more effort. He had to pause more than he liked to work out a spasm in his shoulder but refused to give in to the pain. The people at the theater wouldn't be safe until the bones were salted and burned. As he continued to dig, he heard Bobby cock the shotgun. He stopped and looked up, worried that his friend might get hurt. But one look at the gleam in Bobby's eyes and he realized even in a wheelchair, he was still one of the best hunters around.

"Keep diggin' Sam—I think we have a cold front comin' in" Bobby said as he gazed around the cemetery.

Trusting the old hunter's instincts Sam bit back another groan and threw himself into reaching the casket. The first shot gun blast startled the young hunter, but he didn't turn to check on Bobby. He trusted the old man to have his back. With a couple more shovels of dirt, he finally hit the wood lid of the coffin. "Almost done Bobby—just hold him off…argh!" Sam cried out as he felt himself lifted from the grave and thrown. He hit a tomb stone hard enough to drive the wind from his lungs.

"Sammy! Drop!" Bobby yelled.

Without thought, the young hunter let his body fall to the ground. It really wasn't that hard when he was struggling to get air into his lungs. He heard the shot gun go off once more and felt some of the shot graze his back.

"You okay son?" Bobby's concerned voice filled the night along with the sound of the shot gun being re-loaded.

Sam pushed himself to his feet and staggered towards the duffle. He quickly pulled out the salt and lighter fluid before dropping down into the grave once more. He used the shovel to quickly break through the wood. The skeleton within looked up at him with vacant eyes as he covered it with salt and lighter fluid.

"Hurry up Sammy—I don't know how much longer I can hold him off!" Bobby shouted as he cocked the gun once more. As Sam climbed from the grave he looked over and saw the ghost forming behind Bobby.

"Look out!" Sam cried as he pulled the lighter from his pocket.

As he dropped the flame onto the bones, he saw Bobby lifted from the chair and thrown. He hit the ground hard and didn't move. Sam turned and faced the ghost as it advanced towards him. He knew it would be only moments before the flames did their job.

"It's time for you to rest Joey. You can't hurt anyone anymore." Sam said quietly. He watched as the ghost stopped a few feet from him, his face full of anger and something that looked like despair. Once again the mouth worked but only a moan came forth.

"Don't worry Joey, Maria will be fine. It's time for you to move on…" Sam tried to guess at what was upsetting the spirit in front of him. As the form of Joey began to glow, he looked like he was trying to tell him something but before the young hunter could try to figure it out; the ghost disappeared in a wall of flame.

Sam sank back on his haunches for a brief moment and let the pain and exhaustion through. A soft groan brought him back as he pushed himself to his feet. "Bobby? Hey, you okay?" Sam asked softly and he knelt and carefully turned the hunter over onto his back. He could see a bruise forming on his friend's forehead, but there was no blood.

Taking a flashlight from his pocket he quickly examined Bobby's eyes and sighed with relief when both pupils were equal and reactive. "So, just a mild concussion…" Sam muttered as he tried to rouse the injured hunter.

After a few moments he was rewarded with a soft groan. "Whose idea was it to come out here and play patty cake with an angry spirit?"

"Well, technically it was Dean's…but then he was still out of his head from the concussion." Sam replied as he gently helped Bobby back into his chair. After making sure he wasn't going to fall out of it, he quickly began the task of refilling the grave and getting them out of the cemetery before someone discovered what they were up to.

As he put the last shovel of dirt back on the grave he stepped back and sighed. "Okay Bobby, ready to go?" He turned as he was met with silence. Bobby was sitting in his chair, his head on his chest. "Well looks like Dean is gonna have to trade roles and babysit the sitter…" He laughed softly as he headed back to the Impala and to the hotel.

Dean sat on the bed and flipped the channels, his eyes constantly looking at the clock on the table beside the bed. It had been 2 hours, ten minutes and a few odd seconds and still there was no word from his brother. He was still angry that Bobby had 'grounded' him by insisting he stay behind as backup.

"If we aren't back in 3 hours, you'll be the one to call for help." Bobby had argued as he provided Dean with a phone number for a couple of hunters who were in the area. "You call them boy and don't try to follow us or so help me I'll use my shotgun on your rear next time we meet."

They had fifty more minutes and then he'd call a cab or better yet he'd steal one of the cars in the parking lot and follow them, shot gun be damned. A sharp pain in his head made him grimace as he felt the room move around him. He still couldn't remember everything that had happened but he did remember seeing Joey coming towards him.

"Darn Casper, I should have shot him full of buck shot!" He still felt like the ghost had been trying to communicate and only after it got frustrated did it attack. But letting a frustrated ghost wander around wasn't an option. Sammy was right; they had to get this tied up tonight.

The sound of the Impala filled the night and brought a smile to the oldest Winchester's face. He quickly flicked off the TV and settled down under the covers. It wouldn't do to have Sam think he'd been worried. He was aware he'd hurt his brother by insisting he not go alone. But if Sam had thought about it, he would have to agree he was right this time. None of them were in any shape to fight this ghost on their own.

He heard the sound of the car door and soon the sound of the door opening. The light in the room was turned on as the sound of Bobby's wheelchair followed. Dean winced as the light hurt his still sensitive eyes. Sam must have seen the wince and quickly turned the light off.

"Sorry Dean." The youngest Winchester turned on the bathroom light which gave enough illumination for Dean to see that Bobby was too quiet.

"What happened?" Dean said as he struggled to sit up.

"He's fine, just a bump from waltzing with Casper" Sam replied as he gently helped their friend into his own bed.

"I'm fine you idjit!" Bobby growled as he pushed Sam's hand away from his head.

"Yeah, you're fine. That's why you kept passing out on the way back here…" Sam replied as he stood and walked across the room to get the ice bucket. "I'll be right back with some ice—you know for the lump on your head that isn't there…"

Dean snickered as he saw his brother walk calmly from the room. "So really Bobby, how did it go?"

"We have it handled Dean. Sam dug, the ghost played patty cake with us for a few moments, but your brother managed to get him salted and burned before he could do too much damage." Bobby sighed as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah, too bad you forgot to wear you helmet." Dean grinned as he lay back down on the bed.

"He did fine Dean…" Bobby said quietly.

Dean sighed. "I don't doubt his ability to hunt Bobby. I mean, I've been watching and he seems to be doing fine—no signs that he even misses the demon blood. But we haven't faced a demon yet. I can't get that picture out of my mind when he attacked the demons in that store—he was tempted…"

"But you said he didn't give in Dean." Bobby replied.

"Yeah, not then but I walked in shortly after he killed them. What would have happened if I hadn't shown up Bobby? I failed him the first time, I won't do it again." Dean sighed as he placed a hand over his eyes.

"How can I trust him not to give in? He still wants revenge and I think he'll do whatever it takes to win—even if it costs him his soul. I just can't let him do it Bobby."

"You've got to trust him some time Dean. The boy isn't gonna be happy being kept on a tight leash for much longer. You're gonna lose him if you try to hold him too tight…"

Dean shook his head. "Until I can trust him, he stays on a short leash. He didn't give me any choice Bobby. I mean, I know he didn't mean to but…"

Both hunters turned as they heard the soft click of the door. Neither had noticed it had been ajar nor had they seen the silent form standing outside. "Crap!" Dean said as he heard the sound of the Impala starting.

Sam gripped the wheel of the Impala until his hands hurt. His mind filled with anger and despair over the words he'd heard his brother speak. Up until now, he had thought by following orders and showing his brother he wasn't still addicted to the demon blood he'd eventually earn back what he'd lost. However now it was clear to him that Dean would never trust him again.

As he pulled up to the theater he let his head sink back on the seat. His body hurt and he could feel a sticky wetness as his shirt clung to his back. The shotgun blast hadn't missed him entirely. But the pain in his body was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his heart.

He really couldn't blame his brother. After all, he was the one who became addicted and then started the end of the world. It was his weakness and his alone. He had tried to believe Dean when he said he didn't blame him entirely for what happened. But even he had to acknowledge that if Sam had been stronger, had simply done what Dean had asked before being dragged to Hell, none of this would have happened.

The sound of his phone ringing caused him to break from his thoughts. He looked down and saw his brother's number flashing. He really shouldn't have left. After all, both Bobby and Dean were suffering from a concussion. But he just couldn't face them yet. He had earned their censure and he knew that he had no choice but to accept it. As the phone stopped ringing he saw that a message had been left.

He swallowed and played it back. "Sammy, pick up the damn phone! Listen, I'm sorry okay. We need to talk but I can't do that if you're doing a Houdini on me…" He heard a soft sigh before his brother continued. "You said you wouldn't run away again Sammy—you said you wanted to stay…"

Sam closed the phone and sighed. His brother couldn't possibly think he'd leave him again. At least not with the car and certainly not without his things. It was just another sign of how far his brother didn't trust him. He gazed sadly out the window before he decided it was time to check out the theater. But first he had to let them know where he was. He couldn't let his brother continue to worry about him not coming back.

He quickly picked up his phone and dialed. "Sammy! Where the hell are you?" Dean's voice sounded angry and upset.

"I'm at the theater Dean. Don't worry, there aren't any demons here—nothing to tempt me. We need to make sure the ghost is gone so I'm going to run a quick EMF reading over the place and then come back." Sam said softly as he pulled himself from the car.

"Look Sam, I know you heard some things…" Dean started.

"It's okay Dean, I understand, really, and I deserve whatever you and Bobby decide to do. But right now we have a hunt to finish and neither you or Bobby are in any shape to do it. I know you think I'm weak, but I promise you. I can handle checking out the Theater without backup. I'll be back soon…" Sam simply hung up the phone and turned it off while he moved towards the back of the Impala to get his things. Even though he was pretty sure Joey had moved on, he like his father and brother didn't believe in leaving things to chance.

"Okay Joey, let's hope you took the hint and are resting peacefully." He grabbed his duffle and moved towards the dark theater. "At least you don't have to suffer any longer…"

Dean sat on the bed and looked at the phone in his hand. "He hung up on me Bobby…the jerk hung up on me. He's got my car and he hung up on me!"

"Calm down boy before you burst a blood vessel." Bobby said calmly from the bed. He held the ice pack Dean had managed to put together from the ice bucket he found outside the door. Of course, the short trip had totally wiped him out which made him even angrier.

"He's checking out the theater without backup the stupid son of a bitch." Dean ranted as he fisted the blanket beside him. "What if Joey isn't gone?"

"He's gone Dean and your brother will be fine." The old hunter moved the ice pack and glanced at the distraught hunter.

"Sure he is! This is Sam we're talking about. If there is something hinky still going on there, it will find him." Dean tried to stand and swallowed as the room once more swam around him. He felt himself falling back onto the bed.

"Face it kid, you and I are sidelined until we can stop seeing two of everythin' around us or at least walk a straight line. He'll be back Dean—he'd never take your car and leave his stuff. He'll be back and then I suggest you two knuckleheads work this out because I'm getting another headache from all this drama!"

Dean huffed as he pushed himself back onto the bed. "One hour Bobby. I'll give him one hour and then I'm gonna go get my car back."

"Glad you got your priorities straight there son." Bobby replied blandly as he let out a breath and closed his eyes.

"My priorities have never changed old man. I just wish Sam understood it—hell he used to without my having to say anything." Dean sighed.

"That was before he lost you. I don't think you understand what you're going to Hell really did to him—to both of us." Bobby sighed as he turned to look at the older Winchester. Dean could see the pain in the old man's eyes.

"I get it Bobby. I mean, I understand…after Cold Oaks…" Dean shuddered as he remembered the feeling of his brother going cold in his arms. He actually felt the moment his brother had died and it still shook him. Despite everything, he never wanted to feel that way again.

"Yes, but unlike when Sam died, your death was another price for him to live. The boy only saw the line of deaths that led to him. His curse he called it during the days right after you left. He was so quiet, some days I had to touch him to make sure he was still breathing. Then one day he was gone and I hit the bottle." Bobby paused. "He drank demon blood to escape and I became best friends with Jim and Jack. Do you think I'd ever let liquor cloud my judgment on a hunt?"

"No but, it's not the same…" Dean started.

"Addiction is addiction. The reasons for becoming and staying addicted are sometimes different but in the end, it will always be a part of you." Bobby said quietly. Dean had noticed that his friend drank rarely anymore. Most of the time he would drink a soda instead of a beer. He'd never thought about Bobby being addicted to drink any more than he thought his Dad had been or even him.

"Cas told me if he continued to drink—it would change him Bobby. I can't let him do that to himself…I just can't." Dean replied as he threw a hand over his eyes and tried to breathe through the pain pounding in his head.

"You can be there for him, even catch him if he falls but you can't 'live' for him Dean. At some point, you either got to learn to trust him or it will destroy you both." Bobby said quietly as he closed his eyes. "Now get some sleep you idgit. We both need to be able to see straight if we're gonna get that brother of yours back where he belongs."

Dean smiled softly as he closed his eyes. He would just rest for a moment and then he'd figure out a way to get to the theater. He heard the soft breathing following by a snore from the other bed. As he finally drifted off he wondered how he was going to undo the damage that had been done. How could he convince Sam that he didn't blame him when he did or that he trusted him when he really couldn't? "Aw Sammy, this is so screwed up." Dean sighed as he finally gave into his body's demand and fell asleep.

Sam moved slowly through the old theater. He used his flashlight as he didn't want to alert anyone of his presence, least of all the local cops. So far, everything seemed quiet but he just couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something. As he moved further into the theater he stopped and looked up at the catwalk.

He shivered as he imagined the horror of being pushed and then hung from there. He rubbed his shoulder at the memory of his own experience and wondered yet again who had been responsible. He didn't buy that the young man had fallen or even ended his own life. From what he'd learned from Tamara, he had everything to live for.

He aimed the EMF around the stage and smiled as it came up clean. In the end, the deaths would probably have to remain a mystery. As long as Joey was gone, there shouldn't be any further accidents or deaths. He moved to the back of the stage into the dressing rooms. Dean had mentioned he'd felt something there as well. As he moved the EMF around the room he frowned slightly as he got a faint reading.

After walking around the dressing room for a few more minutes, he didn't find any other sign. It was possible that there could be some residual energy, but Joey hadn't seemed to be that strong of a spirit. He paused for a moment and wiped his hand across his sweaty brow. A slight shiver went through him as he continued to walk towards the old property room.

"I hope he'll at least let me get a hot shower in before he chews some of my hide off…" Sam muttered as he saw the damaged door to the property room. As he drew closer the EMF reader began to go off. He pulled out the shotgun and began to cautiously enter the room. This is the place where Dean had been injured. He could see the fallen shelves that had done the damage still lying on the floor. As he moved closer, he saw blood on the edge of one of the wood shelves. He didn't have to look further; he knew it was his brother's.

As he turned, the EMF meter lit up like a Christmas tree. Sam pulled the shot gun up as he felt the temperature drop. "Joey, if that's you, come out." The young hunter had been sure he'd gotten rid of the ghost, but then maybe something here was holding him. He wondered about the playbill he'd found, maybe…."What the…!" Sam managed before the gun was ripped from his hand and he felt himself being thrown towards the same shelves. As his body hit, he groaned from the pain in his back as it took the brunt of the damage.

Blinking slowly he began to pull himself to his feet and face his adversary…"Why are you still here?"

The only answer was a soft moan…

TBC

Raven524: Yes, I know a cliffie and after an emotional chapter too. But it just seemed like the best place to end things. So, the cemetery didn't solve the problem—I wonder why? Will Dean figure it out before it's too late? Will Sam escape in time to warn his brother and Bobby? Will Bobby finally get to shoot someone other than Sam full of buck shot? Enquiring minds want to know, and if you're one of them, tune in to the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7 Will the Real Casper Come Out

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 7 – Will the Real Casper, Come on Down!**

_Previously…_

As he turned, the EMF meter lit up like a Christmas tree. Sam pulled the shot gun up as he felt the temperature drop. "Joey, if that's you, come out." The young hunter had been sure he'd gotten rid of the ghost, but then maybe something here was holding him. He wondered about the playbill he'd found, maybe…."What the…!" Sam managed before the gun was ripped from his hand and he felt himself being thrown towards the same shelves. As his body hit, he groaned from the pain in his back as it took the brunt of the damage.

Blinking slowly he began to pull himself to his feet and face his adversary…"Why are you still here?"

The only answer was a soft moan…

_And Now…_

Sam blinked as he tried to clear the dark spots that were floating in his line of sight. His hand rubbed his shoulder as he backed further into the charred room. "So it was you all the time. Joey wasn't the one causing all the trouble. He was trying to stop you wasn't he?"

The young hunter ducked as a piece of two by four sailed through the air at him. He winced as he saw it imbed itself into the wall just behind him. If he'd been a little slower—"shiskabob Sammy". His eyes searched the area but there was no sign of his shotgun. However, if he could move just a few feet…

"Why were you trying to hurt JW?" Sam continued to talk, hoping to distract the spirit from his intended target. "I thought you loved him?" He stopped as he heard a soft wail.

"_Not Fair—was all his fault..."_ The eerie voice sent a shiver down Sam's spine as he continued to move slowly, his hand reaching behind him and curling around the iron rebar leaning against the wall.

"So you're the one who killed Joey, but I still don't understand why?" Sam sucked in a startled gasp as the ghostly figure materialized right in front of him.

"_Because it wasn't his to take…"_ The youngest Winchester decided the time to chat was over as he felt cold fingers grab at his throat. Without missing a beat, he pulled the make-shift weapon from behind him and swung it will all his might. As the spirit dissolved into a swirling mass of smoke he turned to head towards the door. It was time to regroup and get reinforcements.

But as he approached the fire darkened door, it slammed shut. He pushed against it for a moment before he felt the air in the room grow cold once more. Sam turned slowly, the iron bar in his hands held out in front of him as he waited for the second round. "Guess you can't take a hint…" The young hunter ground out as the ghost began to form in front of him once more.

Dean woke with a start; his heart beat matched the pounding in his skull as he gazed around the faint light coming through the window. His head automatically turned towards the other bed as he heard a soft snore. For a moment he relaxed until he realized instead of a dark mop of hair peeking out from under the mound of covers, it was gray.

"Sam!" The older hunter called out as he sat up on the bed. He closed his eyes as the room spun for a moment, but as he blinked to clear his vision he realized there was no little brother hovering close by.

"What's a matter Dean?" A gruff voice sounded from the other bed as the old hunter slowly pushed himself up. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed before rubbing his temples.

"He's not back." Was all the injured hunter said as he got to his feet, grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom. His head was still pounding, but at least he was able to walk without the room moving with him. He'd been in worse shape and still hunted, it was time he got back to it.

He quickly got dressed and splashed some water his face. He gazed up into the worried green eyes that looked back at him. "You better be okay Sam…"

Dean walked out into the bedroom and wasn't surprised to find his friend sitting in his chair, his ever present ball cap now covering the gray. It seems it was the only thing the man removed before he crashed the night before—or maybe Sam removed it. The oldest Winchester swallowed as he recalled the hurt he'd heard in his brother's voice the last time they had spoken.

"You just gonna stand there starin' or are you gonna help me into the cab I called so we can go find your idjit brother?" Bobby wheeled towards the door as the sound of a car horn filled the early morning air.

"You called a cab?" Dean replied as he grabbed the duffle they kept in the room with extra weapons. He placed it on Bobby's lap before pushing him through the door. The thought of leaving the older hunter behind made a brief appearance, but one look at the determined gaze of his friend quickly banished it.

"Didn't see no need to cause a stir, especially if we need to come back here ya idjit!" Bobby groused as he wheeled out to the waiting cab. He easily transferred himself into the back seat and waited while the driver helped Dean put his wheelchair in the trunk

It only took a short time for the hunters to reach their destination. Dean saw his car parked in the alley beside the theater. For a moment he felt relief, it meant Sam really hadn't left him. But the fact that it was still here sent a chill up his spine. Without a word, they stopped at the car so that Dean could get some extra rounds and a few other supplies before they both headed into the theater using the side door.

"So you think Joey is still around?" Dean asked quietly as they moved through the lobby.

"Don't see how—Sam burned the bones, unless somethin' else is holding it here?" Bobby rubbed his chin for a moment as they continued to move through the silent theater.

As they continued, Dean couldn't help but think they were missing something. He wondered why Joey had tried to communicate with him instead of just attacking him. It wasn't until he…A memory flashed in his mind, he saw Joey and…"There's another Casper!"

"What?" Bobby stopped and turned to look at Dean.

"There's another ghost, a more powerful one. That's what Joey was doing—he wasn't trying to kill us, he was trying to warn us!" Dean began to put the pieces together quickly as he began to move towards the rooms in the back. "Damn it, there was another ghost and Sam came here alone—we gotta hurry."

The sound of a gun being pulled from the duffle bag on Bobby's lap was the only answer as both hunters headed further inside to find the missing Winchester.

Sam wiped the blood from his upper lip as he pushed his battered body up against the wall. The iron bar had gotten heavier but yet he had managed to keep hold of his weapon even after being tossed around the room and hit by random flying objects. His shoulder was on fire and he felt both warm and cold at the same time. All he wanted to do was lay down and sleep for a century or two. As he gazed around the dark room, he wondered what would happen if the ghost managed to really get a hold of him.

Of course, there was the whole he couldn't die crap that Lucifer had mentioned. But was it true? Maybe it would be best if he just let the ghost have her way. A picture of Dean's grief stricken face squashed the thought as soon as it came. He had promised his brother he wouldn't leave him again, at least voluntarily, and he'd meant it. There was no way he was going to break another promise—"ARGH!"

Sam cried out as he felt himself airborne once more. This time he had no choice but to drop the iron bar as he hurdled towards a workbench filled with various tools. A sharp pain in his side caused him to gasp as he crashed and rolled onto the floor below. But he got no respite as he felt himself being dragged along the floor; a cold hand burned the skin on his ankle. "No!" Sam cried out as he realized he was defenseless.

A sharp yank on his ankle cause him to grunt in pain as he felt himself being pulled towards the high ceiling. His fingers grasped at the rough floor boards, seizing around a familiar object just before he felt himself hoisted into the air. He blinked rapidly as the blood rushed to his head causing it to pound even worse. He almost forgot what he held until his gaze saw the vicious smile on the woman's face. He was looking into the visage of a murderer and it showed.

"You cannot take what is mine—no one can!" The woman's voice filled the room as Sam struggled to pull the shotgun up. His shoulder complained at the strain but he blocked it out as he took aim.

"Well that's where you got it all wrong you Lizzy Borden wannabe!" Sam ground out as he channeled some of his brother into his response. He took a deep breath as he felt the hand holding his ankle begin to loosen. His finger caressed the trigger as a loud shot filled the air, the spirit screamed but Sam never heard as he plummeted to the waiting floor below. His body hit with a sickening thud, the gun now useless next to limp fingers as the youngest Winchester finally gave in to the darkness.

The sound of a shotgun blast caused both hunters to pause before turning as one to head towards the sound. "He's in the old prop room! Come on Bobby!" Dean yelled as he took off towards the room. He knew his friend would follow as quickly as he could but he had to get to Sam. As he approached the door, his felt a chill run up his spine at the silence. "Sammy!" Dean called as he raised his leg and kicked open the already weakened door. As it crashed to the floor his breath caught at the sight before him.

"Oh God, No!" Dean cried as he entered the room and quickly reached to touch his sibling's neck. A moment later he sighed with relief as his searching fingers found a pulse—it was weak, but still there. The next thing he noticed was the awkward angle of his brother's shoulder. It was clear that Sam had injured the weakened joint again.

As he gently rolled his brother over, he shook his head at the extensive bruising around Sam's head and neck. It was obvious his brother had fought before he managed to dispel the spirit one final time. The older hunter grabbed the shotgun he'd laid down and gazed around the room. Casper the unfriendly ghost could reappear at any time.

"How is he?" Bobby's voice filled the room as Dean continued to look for any sign of the ghost.

"Alive—I can't tell more until we get him back to the room. But we still have an unfriendly floating around someplace…" Dean stood and handed his gun to the older hunter. "Cover me while I pick up Sasquach here. We need to get out of here and figure out who the hell this chick is…"

"Becky…" A soft whisper filled the air.

"Sammy?" Dean dropped down and saw his brother move, unfocused hazel eyes opened briefly before slamming shut followed by a soft groan. "Don't worry Sam, I'm gonna get you out of here. Once we get you patched up, we can worry about the ghost."

"No—have to—play tonight—have to finish…" Sam struggled for a moment but collapsed back, his eyes closed.

Dean sighed as he placed a hand on his brother's chest. "Don't worry Sammy, Bobby and I will figure it out and stop it before anything else happens. You just need to…"

"S'okay—sorry…" Sam whispered as his head lolled to the side, his body now lax as unconsciousness pulled him away from the pain.

"Damn it Sammy—that's not what I meant…" Dean wiped a hand down his face.

"Do you two girls think we can continue this conversation someplace else?" Bobby's voice cut through his thoughts as he looked up and nodded. Their friend was right. First he had to get Sam some place safe. Then he'd have to figure out a way to fix the damage inflicted by the ghost—and him.

It had taken more than an hour for them to get the unconscious man back to the hotel room. Dean was thankful that it was too early yet for most people to be up and around. As the older Winchester transferred his sibling to the bed from Bobby's chair, he realized they didn't have much time to get this hunt finished. He quickly returned to the car to get Bobby and the rest of their medical kit.

When they returned, a soft moan could be heard from the bed. "D'n?"

"Right here Sammy. Just hold on a sec while I get things ready…" Dean quickly moved towards the bathroom to get a wet washcloth and some towels. He'd have to clean his brother up to see how bad it really was. Then he'd decide if a hospital was needed.

"No hospt'l" Sam's tired voice called out as Dean entered the room. He shook his head as he sat on the side of the bed.

"We'll see Sammy, now let me get you cleaned up." Dean and Bobby both worked on the youngest Winchester while trying to ignore the small gasps of pain when they hit a tender spot on the injured hunter. Putting his shoulder back in place elicited a small scream from the injured man but after it was done, there didn't appear to be any additional damage. As they turned Sam onto his side, Bobby sucked in a quick breath.

"You damn idjit! Why didn't you tell me you'd been shot?"

"S'okay—doesn't even hurt—just salt…" Sam spoke into the pillow before pulling in a sharp breath.

"Well it's gonna hurt now boy. It looks like some of the wounds are infected. You know better than to leave a wound untreated…" Dean placed a hand on Bobby's arm and shook his head. He could see the defeated slump to his brother's shoulders and knew now wasn't the time for this kind of reprimand.

"It's not your fault Bobby…" Dean said quietly to address the guilt he saw in his old friend's eyes. "It happens—better a little salt than to be killed by an angry Casper."

"He should have told me…" Bobby replied as he pulled his cap from his head before replacing it a moment later.

"Sssorry…" Sam whispered as he pulled tighter into himself.

"Its okay Sammy, Bobby's just upset he hit you. Now hold still, this is gonna hurt a bit." Dean placed a calming hand on his brother's shoulder before he began to clean the wounds. Thankfully after a few shudders, his brother's eyes closed as he succumbed to the pain. The older boy shook his head and continued to work on his sibling's wounds.

"He's gonna be okay Dean." Bobby replied as he sat back in his chair and took a deep breath while Dean picked up the bloodied towels and placed them in the trash bag with all the other used medical supplies.

"Physically, sure—but…" Dean gazed down at his brother and sighed. The war inside him raged. Part of him loved his brother and still felt the need to protect him and yet part of him was still disappointed and afraid of what his brother's addiction and thirst for revenge would do. He felt helpless to stop the train wreck he saw coming.

"But nothin' boy. First we get this ghost taken care of and then you and that brother of yours need to work things out." Bobby placed a hand on Dean's arm. "He'll come around Dean; you just gotta give him time."

"It's not me that has to give him time Bobby. You think the demons and angels are gonna let him fully recover? You think the freakin' apocalypse will take a holiday?" Dean slammed his fist onto the table. "Why him? Why us?"

"I don't know Dean—I just don't know."

Sam groaned as he struggled back towards the voices he heard. He recognized them and yet part of him wanted to just stay where he. He felt a hand on his forehead followed by a soft voice demanding his attention.

"Come on Sammy, you need to wake up…" Dean's worried tone filled his mind as he realized he couldn't stay in the false peace unconsciousness gave him.

"D'n?" Sam managed as he struggled through the last barrier and opened his eyes. He saw his brother smile as he over at someone else.

"He's coming around Bobby."

"Well it's about time—how're you feelin' Sam?" Bobby gruff voice pulled his gaze to the other side of the bed.

Sam accepted the glass of water his brother held to his lips as he tried to pull his scattered thoughts together. He gazed towards the window and saw that the sun was low in the sky. "How—how long?"

"You've been out of it for a little over a day now Sammy…" Dean replied.

Sam tried to push himself up as he realized what that meant. He gasped as pain sliced through his chest and shoulder. "The play!"

"I was extremely good, too bad you missed my death scene—it was epic!" Dean chuckled as Sam tried to figure out what was going on.

"You—you were on stage? Then JW was hurt!" Sam looked over at Bobby for confirmation.

"Dean stop yanking your brother's chain—the play went off fine Sam. JW's opening night was a hit. The spirit didn't do anything…"

"But…" Sam sank back as the pain in his body demanded that he give in.

"Whoever the spirit is, she took the night off. So I'm guessing she doesn't have a grudge against JW anyway…" Sam watched as Dean sat back in the chair he'd pulled over. It was clear his brother had been keeping watch. The youngest Winchester didn't know how to feel about it—was he just being his overprotective brother or was he afraid Sam would turn into a monster. Maybe it was a little of both.

"Hey, what's the matter Sammy?" Dean said as he placed a hand on the bed.

Sam blinked and turned to look out the window. "She could still do damage—she's not done Dean."

His brother took the hint and sat back, a sad smile on his face before he responded. "So you figure out who she is?"

Sam nodded but then thought better of it as a shaft of pain lanced through his brain. He reached up and felt a large knot near the back of his skull. "You hit your head, but your ribs and arm took most of the damage Sammy. You won't be playing the violin anytime real soon." Dean's voice cut through the white noise that was threatening to pull Sam back under.

"Huh?" Sam responded.

"Your arm genius. You must have used your bad arm to break your fall. I had to pop the shoulder back in." Dean stood and moved towards the bathroom. He returned a moment later with a couple of small white pills in his hand. " You also have a couple of cracked ribs. Here, you should take these. They'll help with the pain."

Sam wanted to say no, they needed to finish the hunt. But as he cataloged the various pains in his body, he realized there was no way his brother or Bobby would let him. Besides, he'd already screwed it up. He had known something was off and should have investigated more before he went back to the theater—but he'd wanted to prove…

"Earth to Sammy!" Sam jumped as he felt his brother's hand shake his thigh. "Where'd you go little brother?"

"Becky—Becky Stoldt—she was JW's fiancé. That's why nothing happened last night. She was trying to recreate what happened the last time." Sam turned to look at Dean. "She'll only hurt those she feels are a threat to him…"

Dean sat back and nodded. "Cool, so while you take your beauty nap, I'll just pop over to the library and see if I can find out where she's buried…"

Sam sighed. "Won't do you any good Dean."

"Why not?"

"She's the one that burned to death in the fire…"

TBC

Raven524: So now we have our mystery baddie making an appearance. Cudo's to those who guessed Joey was just a misunderstood ghost! Thanks for all the great reviews. I did try to respond but for some reason it wasn't letting me—so please accept my thanks!! A big hug to everyone who is reading and replying!


	8. Chapter 8 Face Off

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 8 – Face Off**

_Previously…_

"Becky—Becky Stoldt—she was JW's fiancé. That's why nothing happened last night. She was trying to recreate what happened the last time." Sam turned to look at Dean. "She'll only hurt those she feels are a threat to him…"

Dean sat back and nodded. "Cool, so while you take your beauty nap, I'll just pop over to the library and see if I can find out where she's buried…"

Sam sighed. "Won't do you any good Dean."

"Why not?"

"She's the one that burned to death in the fire…"

_And Now…_

Dean sighed as he watched his brother drift off into an uneasy sleep. The faint rose hue on his sibling's cheeks was an indication of the fever that was sure to come. "He should be in the hospital…"

"Your brother will be fine. Both of you idjits have been in worse shape. We just need to get some antibiotics into him and keep him hydrated." Bobby replied as he wheeled over to their first aid kit. A moment later the man slammed the kit closed. "Damn it, I forgot we used the last of them. I meant to restock when we got back to my place."

"Don't worry Bobby, I'll go out and get a new supply—maybe pick up some sports drinks and something light for Sammy to eat when he comes to again. Can you stay…" The young hunter grinned at the sour look on his friends face.

"I know, babysittin' again. Thought I was over that when Sammy here hit puberty…" Bobby groused but the heat didn't reach his eyes as he moved to place a tender hand on the youngest Winchester's face. "You best hurry. It feels like the fever is getting worse…"

The older Winchester grabbed his keys and his coat. "Try to keep the fever down. I'll try and make this quick…"

"You do that son…" Bobby muttered as he wheeled over towards the bathroom to get some cool wash rags. "Don't worry Sam, we'll get you better and then take care of that damn ghost once and for all." The old hunter spoke softly as he tried to calm the agitated young man. He smiled as Sam quieted under his touch, the pain lines lessening as the boy fell into a deeper sleep. "Then you and that stubborn brother of yours are gonna have a long talk even if I have to use my shot gun to persuade you two idjits. I'm getting too old for this crap!"

Sam shivered, his unfocused gaze tracking movement but unable to figure out who was there. A gentle hand lifted his head and forced a drink to his cracked lips. He tried to swallow, but he could feel the cool liquid running down his chin as some escaped. His throat hurt along with the rest of his body.

"Sammy, you need to take these pills. Can you do it for me?" Dean's voice floated through the white noise surrounding him. He registered he was safe, his brother was here and would take care of everything. All he had to do was just obey. He opened his mouth and accepted the pills placed on his tongue. The glass was back and this time he managed to swallow more.

"Good. You did real good Sammy. You rest now." Sam fought against the exhaustion pulling him under. There was something important he had to tell Dean, he had to make sure his brother knew the danger.

"Becky—gotta stop 'er—gonna hr't—gonna…" Sam couldn't seem to get the words out. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder as he was gently pushed back onto the bed.

"Don't worry Sammy. We got it covered. Bobby just went to grab us something to eat and I've got an appointment with that reporter who wrote the article about the haunting. I'm hoping he can give us more information." Dean sat on the bed and placed a cool rag on Sam's forehead.

The cold felt nice as he leaned towards the comfort being offered for a moment. But his mind refused to shut down completely. He'd been thinking, if there were no bones then something else had to be holding the ghost here. Hopefully it wasn't the building itself. A cleansing ritual would be hard to do with so many people around. He was brought back as the rag was removed only to be replaced with a new one.

"Take it easy Sammy. You've got a fever but it's not too bad yet. Just let the medicine work little brother." Dean's softly spoken words were a balm for his soul and for the moment he was willing to pretend he could regain what he'd lost. But as darkness pulled at him he shivered as he felt his brother moving away from him. He couldn't help but feel one day his brother would leave him for good.

Dean munched on the hamburger Bobby had brought back from the diner attached to the hotel. He glanced over at his sleeping sibling before gazing up at their old friend. "We have to finish this hunt Bobby. Sam was right, those people are still in danger."

"I know boy, but you should wait until he's healed and can join you. This is a two man job…" Bobby remarked as he ate his own burger.

"It's gonna be a few days Bobby. Do you really think we can wait that long? Look I let you talk me into letting Sam salt and burn Joey's remains even though I knew he was injured. Now look at him? He needs proper time to heal. Besides, all I'll be doing is the leg work. I won't be going back there until we figure out how the ghost is staying behind." The older Winchester glanced down at the article Sam had found on the haunted theater. The reporter had sensationalized it a bit but the basic facts seemed to fit with what they had found out so far. "Hopefully this Peter Morgan can shed some more light on things. From the way the article was written, he must have done his homework."

"You realize she may be attached to the building itself?" Bobby replied.

"So you think we should just do a cleansing ritual first?" Dean asked, looking at his old friend. He watched as Bobby scratched his chin for a moment, his gaze looking towards Sam for a moment before he replied.

"I think you should talk to the reporter first. See if anything else comes to light. Maybe by tomorrow Sam will be better and can help. You know you can't sideline him in this…" Dean held up his hand while trying to tamp down his temper. He knew how to handle his brother!

"I hear you Bobby, but face it. Sam still was healing from what was done to him after Lucifer broke out. Then he gets injured not once, but twice on this hunt. I'll do the legwork but when we have the answer we go take care of it—with or without Sam." Dean sighed as he watched his friend clamp his mouth shut and turned to go check on his sibling.

"Fine, you don't appear to need help. Just let me know when you're done…I've got things to do at home and would appreciate it if you could drop me there when this is finished."

"Bobby I…" Dean started but could tell from the stiffness in his friend's shoulders that he was being stonewalled. He shook his head and grabbed his keys. "I'll be back after I meet with the reporter—call me if he gets worse."

"Yes sir…" Bobby replied before dipping the wash cloth into the cool water before placing it gently back on Sam's forehead. Dean nodded and left, once this hunt was done he and Sam would sit down and get things back on track.

Sam began to toss lightly, muttering under his breath. "Sorry—so sorry—didn't mean to…"

"Shhh boy, it'll be okay once your dunder headed brother gets his head out of his rear end." Bobby said softly as he frowned at the heat he felt rising on the youngster's skin. He glanced and saw the ice bucket was empty. He sighed as he reached to wake the youth under his care. "Sammy?"

Unfocused eyes opened and looked at him. "D'n?" Sam mumbled as he licked dry lips.

Bobby held the injured hunter's head up and placed the sports drink to his lips. He watched as Sam drank before he replaced the drink on the nightstand. "He's meeting with the reporter to see what other information we can get on your little ghost friend."

"B'cky—d'grous—been thinking. Dean can't go back—promise me…can't go back." Sam struggled to focus as Bobby placed a calming hand on him. The old hunter could see the man was still trying to solve the problem even though he was running a fever.

"S'okay Sam. He's not going to the theater until we know how to get rid of her. Now you just rest. I have to get some ice and I'll be right back." He watched as Sam's face scrunched up, his eyes fighting against the sleep that was trying to claim him.

"She'll kill 'em—wasn't trying to kill others—just—just D'n" Sam grabbed his arm in a strong grip, his eyes beseeching the old hunter to understand. Bobby nodded as he recalled the only incidents this time did seem to revolve only around the two boys. It made sense she wouldn't be trying to off her fiancé and the others probably didn't make sense.

"I understand Sam. She's after anyone she sees as a threat to JW. Don't worry, we'll get this figured out. Now you just concentrate on resting. We'll need you to get better so we can finish this." Bobby knew he wasn't exactly telling the boy the truth, but the small smile he saw on the boy's face strengthened his gut feeling that sidelining Sam would do more damage than waiting for him to be ready. "Now you stay here while I go get the ice. Your cell phone is right here—you call me if you need anything."

The hunter placed the cell phone in the half-conscious man's hand before he grabbed the bucket and the room key. "I mean it Sam—don't you get out of that bed!"

"M'kay" Sam muttered as his eyes began to close. His hand automatically closed over the cell phone before his breath evened out.

Bobby smiled softly as he exited the room. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he was going to make sure that Dean understood what this hunt meant to both boys. The boy's overprotective nature was working against him this time. As he wheeled to the ice machine near the office he grunted in frustration as he realized it was empty. "Great!"

Once again his limitations hit him in the face. If it weren't for the freakin' chair he'd be able to walk or drive to get more ice. Hell, Dean never would have been able to walk out on him for that matter. He slapped his useless legs as he turned the chair to head back.

"You need ice sir?" A young woman dressed in a maid uniform asked as she nodded towards the empty ice bucket on his lap.

"Ah, yeah—my friend is sick. Is there another machine close by?" Bobby asked as he watched the woman shake her head. His heart sank as he realized he was running out of options. He was going to have to call Dean.

"No Sir, but I can get some from the office, if you can wait here?" Before Bobby could respond, she had grabbed the ice bucket and quickly headed towards the motel office. The hunter waited patiently for what seemed like hours but in reality was probably only ten or fifteen minutes before he saw the girl returning.

"I'm sorry it took so long, I had to go to the basement to get this." She held up a small bag of ice. It would be more than enough to get Sam over this rough patch. He grinned as he realized things were beginning to look up. "I hope your friend feels better. If you need anything else, just call the front desk."

"I will, and thank you!" Bobby replied as he began the long trip back to the room. He'd been gone much longer than he had anticipated. He just hoped Sam wasn't any worse.

As he entered the room, his stomach fell as he noticed the empty bed. "Sammy!" He called out as he wheeled into the room. He went to the bathroom only to discover it was empty. He dropped the ice and slammed his fist against the wall. "Damnit boy!"

As he wheeled out into the room, he noticed a piece of paper on the table near the laptop. He picked it up and swore as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Yeah Bobby?" Dean's voice sounded on the line.

"Get your rear end back here! You're brother's gone to the theater…" Bobby held the phone back from his ear as Dean yelled.

"What the hell Bobby!"

"Look, just get here—he left a note Dean. Tamara is in trouble!" Bobby heard the click of the phone. He glanced upward for a moment and sighed. "John, you so owe me and I aim to collect once this is all over and done, just you wait and see!"

Sam started awake as his cell phone rang. He blinked tiredly as he answered. "h'llo?"

"Sam? Oh God, I'm sorry—I thought I could stop her." Tamara sounded panicked on the other end of the phone.

Sam sat up and closed his eyes as the room spun. He pinched his nose and tried to gather his scattered thoughts. "What's wrong?"

He heard the woman take a shaky breath before she continued. He could hear the terror in her voice. "I saw her—Becky after you said you were going to help Joey. It wasn't just him all this time…"

"I know—where are you?" Sam noticed he was wearing only his sweats and a T-shirt but they'd have to do. He began to pull on his boots as he continued to talk to the distraught woman.

"The theater—the old prop room. I can't get out Sam! She's here and she's mad!" Sam heard the sound of something crashing as Tamara screamed.

"Hold on—I'm coming. Tamara?" Sam yelled into the phone as he exited the room and began to glance around the parking lot. His eyes landed on an old VW bug. It would be small, but it would have to do.

"She's coming Sam—what do I do?" Tamara whispered.

Sam tried to figure out what he could tell the terrified girl. Then he remembered the iron pipe he'd used earlier. If it was still there..."Listen Tamara, there is an iron pipe in the room. Do you see it?" He heard her moving around before the sound of something metal being dragged on the floor made it through the phone.

"Yeah, I got it—now what?"

"If she comes near you, swing it at her. Ghosts are dispersed when coming in contact with iron. Just find a corner and keep her away from you. I'll be there soon." Sam held the phone between his ear and shoulder as he began to hot wire the car. A soft groan escaped his lips and he had to shut his eyes for a moment to try to keep from falling over. But the sound of another scream on the line made him shake it off and get into the small car. "Tamara!"

"Hurry—I can't…Oh God! SAM!" The line went dead and Sam's heart plummeted. He had to get to Tamara—had to save her. His vision swam in and out as he tried to keep the vehicle on the road, one thought in his mind. He had to save the woman.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean slammed his hand against the steering wheel as he gunned the motor towards the motel. He had half a mind to just go to the theater but then the motel was on the way and he knew Bobby would kill him if he didn't stop. He still felt bad about the way he'd left things with the old hunter. He glanced down at his phone. He was gonna kill Sam.

He punched Sam's phone number and waited. He was actually shocked when it was answered. "D'n?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing Sammy!" Dean couldn't keep the anger from his voice. He heard a soft sigh and then his brother's weakened voice responded.

"S'Tamara—Becky's got 'er—gotta save 'er—gotta do som'thn r'gt…" He didn't like the way his brother sounded. It was clear Sam wasn't functioning on all four cylinders. Deciding that being angry wasn't going to help, he toned down his voice.

"Where are you Sam?" Dean opted to get as much information as he could from Sam.

"Theater—prop r'm—gonna save 'er—she's scared D'n—gotta stop…so sorry—didn't mean…" Sam's voice faded as Dean heard the sound of a door opening followed by a woman's scream before the line went dead.

The distraught hunter almost didn't pull into the hotel, but he noticed Bobby sitting on the sidewalk in front, his duffle on his lap and look on his face that would kill any supernatural being that dared to mess with him. A soft grin graced Dean's face as he pulled over and quickly got Bobby into the car. As he jumped in and gunned the motor he glanced over at Bobby and noticed his downcast gaze.

"What happened?" Dean asked softly. He could see Bobby was upset.

"Damn idjit—I told him to stay put while I got ice. His fever was getting worse and I though I could handle it." His old friend glanced down at his legs before he sighed. "I shoulda called yah Dean. If he get's hurt it's on me this time…"

Dean wanted to yell at Bobby but at the slump in his friends shoulders, he just couldn't. They both had been screwing up when it came to Sam this time—he maybe more than Bobby. "Face it Bobby—this is Sam we're talkin' about. If he wanted to do a Houdini on you, there was nothin' you coulda done. Besides, from the sound of it his girlfriend is in real trouble."

"You talked to him?" Bobby turned to gaze at Dean.

"Well kind of. He's out of it Bobby but still he managed to get to the theater and from the sounds of it, he's taking on Becky by himself." Dean couldn't help the small amount of pride that echoed in his voice. Sam always saw himself as the least of the Winchesters and yet, in some respects he was the stronger. It wasn't the first time Sam had gone into a situation to save the innocent irregardless of the consequences to himself.

"Damn it! Did you find out anything from the reporter?" Bobby held on as Dean took a turn a little too fast but didn't say anything.

"Most of it we knew—but as he was talking I had a thought. JW proposed to the girl right?"

"Yeah?" Bobby said.

"And when she burned, she was probably wearing his ring?" He saw the light bulb go off in the old man's eyes.

"You think her ring is still there. Makes sense but where would it be?" Bobby replied as the theater came in view.

"I'm guessing the prop room. At least that's where we'll have to start looking. But first we get Sam and Tamara out of there. We can go back later and search…" He looked at Bobby and sighed before he continued. "After Sam is feeling better okay?"

He jumped as Bobby clapped him on the back. "About time yah idjit. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use the shotgun on yah."

Sam dropped his cell phone as the door in front of him was yanked open and he was pulled inside. He saw Tamara standing in the far corner, the iron pipe in front of her. He could see the fear in her eyes but her grip remained firm. He grunted as he was slammed against the wall hard enough to make his teeth rattle. His hand automatically reached for the shot gun that wasn't there. His mind suddenly realized for the first time he'd come here unarmed. He shook his head as he glanced over at Tamara. He had to do something and fast as the ghost of Becky materialized in front of them.

He took a step and tripped. His eyes glanced downward to see what had caused him to stumble and saw Dean's shotgun sticking out from beneath a pile of debris. It had to have been left here when his brother was injured. He reached down and grabbed the gun, praying there was at least one shot left. As he took aim he yelled at Tamara. "Down!"

The terrified woman dropped as Sam pulled the trigger. A loud screech filled the room as the salt dispersed the spirit. The injured hunter quickly pulled open the door. "Quick Tamara—get out—get out of the theater now!"

He watched as Tamara dropped the iron bar and ran for the door. As she disappeared down the hall, he glanced back to make sure they weren't being followed. Before he could join her, the door slammed shut again. He checked and saw there were no bullets left. That left the iron bar. As the temperature continued to drop, he grabbed the bar and moved to the corner Tamara had been in when he arrived. It was as defensible as he could find until Dean got here.

"Come on out Becky…" Sam said softly as he fought the dizziness. He leaned heavily back against the wall, willing his body to hold on for just a while longer. At least Tamara had escaped, now if he could just hold on, he was sure Dean would come.

He blinked as a shadowy form began to form, too far for him to hit with the bar, but close enough he could see the evil glint in her eyes. Well great, so she had learned from her past mistakes. "Any time now Dean." He muttered as he raised the bar, wincing at the pull on his ribs and shoulder.

"You don't belong here…" The voice echoed eerily in the silent room.

"Well, you're probably right. In fact, I should be in a nice warm bed, being yelled at by my overprotective big brother." He sighed as he glanced up. "You know you don't belong here any longer either Becky. JW is doing fine…"

"No! He needs me!" Becky screeched as she took a step closer. Sam tried to hide his smile. If he could keep talking, maybe she'd come too close. Just a few more steps…

"He's moved on Becky and for the record, he didn't need you. You killed Joey for no reason. JW was good enough to get a role eventually on his own merit." He knew it was dangerous to egg the spirit on but he needed to keep her focused on him for the moment.

"You lie! He needed me—we were going to go to New York and start a family. He deserved the lead, not Joey. It was his turn that night and I made sure!" The homicidal ghost took another step but was still not quite close enough.

Sam shook his head and pretended to let the iron bar drop slightly as if he was too tired to hold it up. All he needed was one good swipe and he might be able to make a break for it. "You've been killing those you thought threatened him and yet, even he said Joey deserved the role. You threw it all away for what Becky? JW didn't need you to fix it for him…"

Becky's gaze narrowed as her hate filled eyes glared at Sam. "I loved him! If you love someone you protect them no matter what. I was just protecting the man I love!"

"He may have loved you once, but if he knew what you had done—he would have walked away!" Sam argued as he held his breath. A part of him couldn't help but think it was what Dean should do with him. His thoughts were interrupted though as the irate spirit reached inside a pocket on her coat and drew out something in her fist. The room was beginning to lose focus as he fought his body's need to just give in and rest. As she took another step, he saw something small inside her outstretched hand.

"This proves his love! I'll never stop protecting him from those who seek to take his rightful place." She took a step back and Sam blinked. The iron bar lowered this time as he swayed on his feet.

"You're dead Becky—you can't help him anymore. He has moved on and so should you…"

"It's not fair! I made it so he could get the job and we would have been happy but that bastard ruined it. But he's gone now and I'm no longer afraid. I will make JW love me again!" Sam swallowed as the ghost paced. Her anger was almost a physical thing in the room. He wiped a hand over his face to remove the sweat that lingered. Dean was really going to kill him this time—if he survived. As she turned and narrowed her gaze his blood ran cold.

"But you're different—you and that other. I almost had him but Joey stopped me. This time I'll get you both and then JW will have to love me again!" Sam raised the iron bar and swung. A slight smile formed on his lips as he heard the ghost scream before she disappeared. His gaze looked down as something metal hit the floor. He reached down and picked up the small gold band and dropped it into the pocket on his jacket.

He stood up and swayed. It was time to get out of here before the ghost came back. Besides if he was right, he had the means to destroy now in his pocket. He took a step and gasped as the room spun. His legs crumpled as he reached towards the door, his limp hand falling to the ground to join the rest of his body as the darkness he'd been fighting finally won.

"Mine…" The voice gleefully said as a cold hand grabbed his ankle and began to pull.

TBC

Raven524: I do apologize for the delay between posts. Hopefully this chapter will make up for the lag. RL is just keeping me busy but with the summer now on us, I'm hoping to find a little more time to write. The next chapter should be up by the end of the week. Thanks again to everyone who is following this story! You all rock!


	9. Chapter 9 The Plot Thickens

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 9 – The Plot Thickens**

_Previously…_

He stood up and swayed. It was time to get out of here before the ghost came back. Besides if he was right, he had the means to destroy her now in his pocket. He took a step and gasped as the room spun. His legs crumpled as he reached towards the door, his limp hand falling to the ground to join the rest of his body as the darkness he'd been fighting finally won.

"Mine…" The voice gleefully said as a cold hand grabbed his ankle and began to pull.

_And Now…_

Dean quickly helped Bobby into his chair before he headed to the trunk. He grabbed his duffle and double checked to make sure everything was in place. He took his spare shot gun and loaded it before closing the trunk. Neither hunter said a word as they passed the bright yellow VW Bug parked haphazardly in the alleyway. It was clear his brother wasn't in his right mind, no way would he have picked such an obnoxious vehicle and he knew he'd taught his brother how to park better. Of course, he'd have to rib Sam later on how he managed to fit his Sasquatch size frame into such a small car.

As Dean reached for the door, it suddenly banged open and he found himself holding a severely shaken Tamara. "Whoa!" the hunter cried as he tried to steady the panicked girl.

"Dean! You have to help him!" Tamara panted, her eyes filled with tears. "He saved me! I can't believe he saved me…" Her legs began to collapse as Dean gently pulled her towards the abandoned VW. He needed to leave her some place safe while he checked on his brother. As he lowered her to the back seat, her hand grabbed his arm.

"She's got him Dean—Oh God—She's got him!" As her eyes closed, he couldn't help the surge of panic in his veins at her words. He turned and ran back towards the door to the theater. "You heard her Bobby—we have to get inside now!"

"You go find that idjit brother of yours. If you're right about the ring, I need to find something to get a fire going and purify it. Once you have the ring, find me and we'll take care of the bitch." Bobby remarked as he wheeled into the theater and headed for the concession stand.

"Fine, but we get Sammy out first—if I can't find the ring, we'll come back." Dean didn't wait for his friend as he tore through the lobby towards the back of the theater. There was no sound which made his heart beat faster. What if he was too late?

He shook his head. He had to stay focused. All their lives depended on it. As he approached the door to the prop room he pulled his shot gun out and had it ready. He hitched the duffle bag further onto his shoulder as he reached for the knob. He sucked in a breath at the cold feel on the metal. As he slowly turned it, he was surprised when the door swung inward with ease.

A quick glance showed the room was empty. The smell of ozone though was heavy which meant the ghost had been here not long ago. He saw his other shot gun lying on the ground next to an iron bar. His brother had put up a fight. He reached down and grabbed the gun, loaded it and placed it in the duffle bag he carried on his shoulder. It wouldn't hurt to have the extra fire power. "Okay Sammy, where are you hiding?" Dean said softly as he looked down on the floor. He could see where the dust had been disturbed. It looked like something had been dragged.

"Son of a bitch!" He exclaimed as it was clear the ghost had probably gotten to his brother. He followed the marks until he was standing in front of a wall. "Well unless you've been holding out on me little brother, you can't go through walls so that means…" He began to search along the wooden panels until he felt something click. He stepped back as the wall slid inward. "You sly bitch…"

He pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call. "Bobby, the bitch has him. It looks like there are hidden hallways behind the damn walls."

"Be careful Dean…" Bobby's voice sounded worried.

"Aren't I always?" Dean remarked as he chuckled at the expected response…

"Idjit!"

He hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket. He didn't know where the dark hallway lead, but it didn't matter. He was going to find his brother and nothing would stop him. As he pulled out and tested his flashlight he jumped as a sound came from the hall. He turned and leveled the gun, only to breathe an exasperated sigh. "Can't anyone stay put today? You shouldn't be here Tamara!"

"I had to come. If I'd run when I first saw her, Sam wouldn't be in trouble. He told me not to try to talk to Joey, but I thought…" Tamara looked down at the floor before she looked up with tears in her eyes. "She was my friend…"

Dean sighed. "It's not your fault Tamara. Spirits sometimes change after they've been around for awhile—they get angry. But you need to go back out to the car and wait. It's not safe here for you."

Tamara squared her shoulders and shook her head. "You need me Dean. I know you and your brother are ghost hunters. He told me as much when we last talked. I may not know how to hunt a ghost, but I do know the theater and I know Becky. There's a place she and JW used to go to…"

"Just tell me how to get there…" the hunter started but was interrupted when the young girl stepped in front of him and headed into the dark hallway.

"You'll never find it without me—now we can either argue or you can follow me…" Tamara paused for a moment, her eyes glowing as the flashlight hit them.

"Fine, but you stay behind me. I don't suppose you know how to shoot a shot gun?" Dean was taken aback as she held her hand out to him.

"My pappy used to take me out on the bayou. Learning to shoot was required to survive out there." Dean handed her the gun and couldn't help admire the way she efficiently checked it before holding out her hand. "Spare shells?"

With a chuckle the hunter handed her some of his spare supply. "These are salt rounds. She won't stay gone long, so be prepared to shoot more than once. When we find Sam, I'll grab him and you can cover our six okay?"

"Roger!" Tamara chuckled as the two entered the hallway.

Sam woke slowly; the musty smell combined with the dust caused him to sneeze. He rolled to his side and clutched his ribs with a soft groan. He couldn't see anything in the darkness that surrounded him. He was lying on something soft, but from the dust rising from it—it hadn't been used in some time. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small flashlight he always carried.

He pushed himself up and turned it on. He saw old props lying around, a make up table was in one corner and it appeared that he was on an old cot. The faded comforter made him shiver as he tried not to think about what else was in the old mattress with him. He could hear the sound of small creatures as they scurried from the light. "Great—probably rats. Dean would love to meet you all…" Sam chuckled humorlessly as he shivered again.

He continued to shine the light around the room, looking for a way to escape. But he didn't see any obvious doors. He stood but soon sat back down as his ankle screamed at him. He looked down and saw that it was swollen and discolored. His body hurt in so many places, the throbbing in his ankle hadn't even been noticed. He blinked against the dizziness that threatened to take him down. He had to find a way out of here before the crazy ghost returned.

As if she read his mind, the temperature dropped and he saw the apparition begin to form. He had nothing to protect himself with. There was nothing in the room. He moved further back on the old mattress until his back was against the wall. "Any time now big brother…" he muttered as Becky moved closer to him.

."You have what's mine—I want it back!" The irate ghost flickered before she reappeared next to the bed. Sam shivered from the cold but refused to give in to the fear that filled his stomach. He knew the moment she got what she wanted, he'd be dead.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Sam tried to stall for time. But the ghost wasn't having any of it as he felt himself pushed down onto the mattress. The ghost now on top of him as her hands began to move over him. His breath hitched as she tore his shirts, leaving his chest bare.

"You'll tell me or suffer! It's all that I have left of him." The young hunter cried out as her hand hovered over his heart, her nails digging into the skin causing him to arch off the bed. "Tell me!" she screamed as he writhed beneath her. His ribs screamed as he tried to suck in enough air, his shoulder not fairing much better as he strained for purchase to get her off of him.

"Get off me you bitch! I'm telling you he won't love you after he finds out you killed his best friend just so he could get the chance…ARGH!" Sam cried as her hand felt like it was going to pull the heart from his chest."

The ghost leaned closer, her eyes filled with hate. "I can see into your heart, you have betrayed the one you love. You talk about what I've done—you have no idea the sacrifice of giving everything up for the one you love…" Her lips brushed against his ear as she leaned over him. "At least I did what was needed to help the one I loved—what have you done?"

Sam swallowed as the words struck close to home. The fact that Dean couldn't trust him still hurt but how could he expect anything more. He'd betrayed his brother in the choices he'd made, his selfishness in wanting to be the one to stop Lilith. His stubborn pride had released a monster into the world. As he felt cold hands move down to encircle his throat, the fight left him. If he let the ghost kill him, his brother would morn, but then he'd be able to finally move on. However a small spark ignited as he thought of Dean facing Lucifer alone and he began to struggle again. He couldn't let his brother take on the mess he'd created.

"You didn't—didn't kill out of love…" Sam gasped as he thrashed on the bed. "You did—it so you could get ahead. JW was just the way out for you…"

Becky sat up and gazed at him for a moment, her eyes thoughtful before she sat back on his hips. "You want to die…"

"I'm not afraid of death—been there, done that already. Besides, if you kill me—you never get your ring back again…" Sam said as he felt her hands move over his chest again but stilling before they made it back to his throat.

The ghost's shape shimmered for a moment longer before she materialized near the shelves with props. Sam couldn't make out what she was doing until he saw the glint of steel in her hand. She had what looked like a very real knife.

"I might not be able to kill you—but I can make you wish I had…" Sam tried to move but before he could reach the edge of the bed, she was on him. As the first cut slashed across his stomach he couldn't help the scream the erupted from him.

Tamara grabbed hold of Dean's arm and pointed towards the left side of the hallway that felt like it went on forever. He stopped and flashed the light over what appeared to be more of the wall. "Here?" He asked softly.

"Yes, they say this hidden area was created when the theater used to be used for other types of entertainment." He knew if there was more light he'd see a blush on the woman's cheeks as she continued. Most of the uhm…rooms were sealed. But Becky found one that was still here. She'd set it up as a special place that she and JW could go to."

"Do you know where the latch is?" Dean said as he stepped back to let the woman move in front of him. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the ghost. It bothered him that they hadn't seen her so far. It could only mean bad things for his brother. Suddenly he heard a loud scream from the other side of the wall.

"Damn it—get it open now!" The hunter cried out as he pulled his gun up and stood ready. "Open it and then head back to the concession area. Bobby will protect you…" He spoke quickly as he heard the soft click of the latch. He didn't wait to see if Tamara had listened as he charged into the room, his eyes going hard at the scene in front of him.

Becky was straddling his brother, a blood soaked knife raised ready to strike. Without waiting, he pulled the trigger and smiled as the spirit screamed in fury. Dean didn't wait as he moved towards is sibling. He could see his brother's face twisted in pain as he fought to stay conscious. "Sammy, take it easy…"

"D'n?" Sam said softly, his hazel eyes unfocused for a moment before with a gasp he sat up, holding his arm over his lower stomach. Dean's eyes narrowed as he saw the red stain on the top of Sam's jeans.

"Let me see…" He tried to get his brother to remove his arm, but Sam shook his hand off. A slight groan escaped him as he pulled his coat forward. Dean watched as his brother fumbled in his pocket before pulling his hand out and placing something in his hand. He glanced down and saw a small golden band of gold.

"You need to—need to destroy it—hurry, she knows I have—I have it—go—she'll kill…" Sam whispered as his body sagged back against the mattress. His eyes blinking slowly as they began to lose focus again.

"Damn it Sam, I can't leave you here like this!" Dean said as he tried to figure out the best way to get Sam out of here while protecting them both from the bitch. He jumped as a hand grasped his shoulder.

"Give it to me—I can do it." Tamara said softly.

"I thought I told you to go!" Dean ground out. "Why won't anyone listen to me today!"

"Well I'd say it's a good thing I didn't. Now tell me what I need to do." She glanced down at Sam, her eyes filled with concern. "You need to take care of him…"

Dean sighed, he knew she was right but he hated to put her in jeopardy. It was only a matter of time before the ghost discovered Sam didn't have the ring. "If we only had a similar ring…" He played with the silver one on his own finger but knew it would never work. A soft hand on his shoulder brought his attention back to Tamara.

"Would this work?" She said softly as she pulled a small chain from her neck, a small gold band dangled from the links. "It belonged to someone special—he's, well let's say he left kind of unexpected."

"I can't guarantee you'll get it back…" Dean said as he pushed the ring back towards her.

"It's not worth Sam's life. If it will help, it's okay…" Tamara placed the ring back in Dean's hand. "Now what?"

Dean looked closer and realized the ring was similar enough it might work. He could use it to keep the ghost here and away from Sam hopefully. "Now you run as fast as you can to my friend Bobby. Give him the ring—he'll know what to do from there." As the girl turned to run, he called after her. "Keep your eyes open, if you see anything—you shoot!"

Tamara looked back for a moment before she ran through the open door into the hallway. A soft groan caused Dean to look back down at his brother. "When we get back, you and I are gonna have a little chat about following orders."

Sam didn't answer as his eyes refused to focus. Dean leaned forward and felt the heat radiating off his sibling. The fever was back and along with his other injuries it made the situation serious. Sighing he pulled Sam's arm back and saw the belly wound. Luckily it didn't look too deep, but it needed to be cleaned and stitched. He used the flash light to check for other injuries, his breath hissed in sympathy at the bruising around his brother's chest and neck. The bitch had done a number on him for sure. "Well Sam, I don't think you'll be walking out of here this time."

The sudden drop in temperature caused him to check his gun before he moved Sam gently closer to the wall. The bitch would have to go through him to get to his brother. He felt a hand on his back, his brother's soft voice filled the air. "Leave me please—not—not worth it…"

Dean sucked in a breath at the defeated tone in his brother's voice. He needed to get this over with so he could get Sam someplace safe. Then he'd do damage control. He hadn't meant to hurt his brother and yet it seemed it's all he did lately. The two of them were so far out of sync; it wouldn't take much for the demons and angels to take them down.

"Don't worry Sammy, we'll work this out. I promise…" He glanced up as the ghost of Becky took shape. "Stay back Sam, I've got this one. Come on out you bitch, it's time you and I had a chat before I send your ass to hell."

Raven524: So another update in less than a month! I feel I'm on a roll finally LOL. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. Now on with the story…


	10. Chapter 10 As the Curtain Falls

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 10 – As the Curtain Falls**

_Previously…_

"Don't worry Sammy, we'll work this out. I promise…" He glanced up as the ghost of Becky took shape. "Stay back Sam, I've got this one. Come on out you bitch, it's time you and I had a chat before I send your ass to hell."

_And Now…_

Dean felt his brother pushing himself up behind him. But he kept his gaze on the ghost in front of them. Her hate filled eyes looked past him to the man behind him. "Hey bitch, you want him you gotta go through me!" He raised the gun and smiled as the ghost evaporated. He just hoped she wouldn't go after the others. As he glanced behind him, he felt a surge of pride as Sam looked as if he was trying to focus. His brother may be down, but he was still trying to guard his back.

"Do you think you can handle a gun Sam?" Dean asked quietly as he pulled his duffle off his shoulder and placed it on the bed. He pulled out a spare gun and handed to his brother, placing his trembling hands around the stock before leaning down to look closer.

"Got your back…" Sam said softly as he pulled the gun closer, his finger rested against the trigger as he wiped the sweat from his eyes.

"I know you do Sammy…" Dean said softly as his brother's eyes suddenly grew large. He whirled around and pulled his own gun up to aim at the threat, but once again the ghost disappeared before he could get a shot off.

"Playin' with us…" Sam muttered as he let his head fall back against the wall for a moment before sitting up again.

"You can play all you want Becky, but unless you ask nice—I don't give you this…" Dean held out his hand, a small gold band glinted in the flash light before he closed his fist around it again.

"It's mine!" The ghost shrieked as she materialized next to the bed. Before Dean could get the gun up he felt himself thrown against the opposite wall. He saw stars for a moment before the sound of a shot gun filled the air, followed by the ghost's loud scream.

He groaned as he picked up his gun and moved back towards the bed. Sam's face was pinched with pain but his gaze never faltered. Dean reached for the gun and quickly reloaded it before giving it back to his sibling. "Thanks…" He said simply before he reached inside his duffle and pulled out the can of salt.

He made a large circle of salt in the middle of the room and then moved to help Sam into the center of it. The hunter didn't like the heat he felt as he gently lowered his brother to the floor. It didn't take a medical degree to see his brother was almost at the end of his rope. But his brother still fought to remain sitting, his head was bowed slightly and his hands shook. However Dean knew he couldn't count his little brother out of this fight just yet. With a soft smile he leaned down and placed the gun into Sam's hands. As his brother tightened his grasp around the shot gun, the older sibling patted his brother's shoulder before he stood and moved behind him. He could feel Sam lean against his legs, the heat from his brother's body almost burned through his jeans. Suddenly the youngest Winchester straightened the gun no longer lax in his hands as he gazed around him.

The hunter could feel the temperature drop once again. Dean turned and watched as the spirit formed just outside the circle. She moved around them, testing the salt until she screamed with frustration. "Give it to me—it's mine!"

The oldest Winchester smiled as he pulled the ring from his pocket and glanced at it as if he was considering her request. He had to buy some time for Bobby to get the job done. After a moment he shook his head. "Nope, you don't deserve it. You killed Joey and god knows how many others for what? A chance at the good life? I met JW and believe me; he won't want any part of you."

"Give it to me or I'll kill you both!" Becky hissed as she moved towards the pile of props in the corner of the room. The hunter couldn't make out what was there, but he was sure it couldn't be anything good. With his luck the room would contain props from South Pacific or even worse Macbeth. His gaze narrowed as the items on the shelf began to rattle. He had to do something to distract her; even a fake sword could cause damage if thrown with enough force.

Dean raised the ring and taunted her. "You'll never get it unless you ask me nicely. Otherwise…" He opened his mouth and placed the ring on his tongue. He watched as the ghost stopped and stared at him. It was clear she didn't know what to do. The props on the shelf stilled while Dean continued to dangle the ring as bait.

"Fine, give it to me and I'll let you live…" The ghost moved closer again, her tongue moved nervously outside her lips.

Dean moved to stand in front of Sam. He would block the ghost from doing anything else to his sibling. He saw his brother straighten up again, his eyes trying to track what was going on. The older Winchester winked before he shook his head and swallowed.

"NO!" Both he deranged spirit and Sam screamed. Hoping he'd given Bobby enough time, the hunter emptied his gun into the ghost. As she disappeared he smiled.

"I guess she'll have to wait for it now." He chuckled at the look of disbelief on his brother's face.

"D'n No-She'll have to kill you…" Sam whispered as he began to slide sideways towards the floor. The gun fell from his grasp. "Leave me behind—she'll—she'll follow you now—I'm no—no ggoood…"

"Shhh Sammy, you did just fine little brother." Dean knelt beside his sibling; he hoped Tamara would make it there soon because Sam didn't have much time left. He carded his hand through the sweaty hair and smiled as his brother leaned into his touch. He'd missed this more than he thought. He had taken for granted the trust his brother had in him to keep him safe. His brother had more than proved he would have his back in a hunt. That had really never been the problem. He just wished he knew that his brother was over the whole demon blood thing—that and his thirst for revenge. It blinded him to anything else, just like their father. He'd watched his Dad destroyed by his obsession and swore he wouldn't let Sam do the same.

As the temperature dropped again, he pulled his gun up and got ready. But this time the ghost didn't appear. Instead he felt the wind pick up in the room. Soon objects began to fly around before they headed towards them. "Oh Crap!" Dean yelled as he dropped down over his sibling.

Bobby found a large metal can in the concession area. He quickly pulled it to the center of the floor, it would probably leave a mark on the floor but it was the best he could do in a pinch. He quickly placed the ingredients he needed inside before dousing it all with a good dose of lighter fluid. Now all he needed was the ring. He pulled out his shotgun and started the hard job of waiting.

A moment later, he heard the sound of footsteps. He raised the shotgun but lowered it as the girl they'd left in the car appeared. She stopped, looked behind and then continued towards him. He noticed she also carried a shot gun. "So, you decided to join the party girl?"

"No time—she's gonna kill them if we don't do something…" The girl gasped out as she came to stop in front of the older hunter. Bobby looked back towards where she'd come from. Once again he felt helpless as he realized there probably wasn't much he could do to help Dean and Sam.

"Damn it, I should have called someone else in to help with this one…" Bobby slammed his fist down on his useless legs.

"Dean said you'd know what to do with this." The girl held out the small gold band.

"Well why didn't you say you had it!" Bobby took the ring and dropped it into the can and quickly dropped a match inside. As the flames grew, he began to recite the cleansing ritual. He was concentrating on the words and didn't see the shape coalescing behind him.

"Mister! I think…" Bobby paused and glanced up, rolled his eyes and looked at the young woman. Damn amateurs, he didn't have time to tell her what should have been obvious. But then he noticed the slight tremor of her hands around the gun, her face losing even more color. He had to admit, she'd made if further than most. Still…

"Shoot her damn it. I have to finish this!" He heard the sound of the gun being cocked followed by the scream of the spirit as the girl emptied the shot gun. He glanced over and smiled in approval as she quickly pulled out a spare round and reloaded. Hmmm…maybe she wasn't so bad after all. She moved closer to him and smiled grimly.

"Never thought I'd be shooting ghosts when my Pappy taught me how to use a gun…" The older hunter didn't respond as he began reciting the rest of the ritual. They didn't really have time if they were going to save his boys. He pulled the last ingredient to be added from his pocket and sprinkled the herbs over the flame.

"NO! It's mine!" The ghost screamed as it rushed towards the flame. The girl raised the gun but there was no need as the spirit stopped and looked down to see the flames spreading up her legs. Dark eyes looked towards the girl now standing behind Bobby. With a plaintive cry, the spirit spoke to the young woman. "Tamara—please you were my friend!"

"The key word there is 'were' Becky. It's time for you to leave and be at peace." The girl said softly, tears in her eyes as the spirit finally disappeared into a ball of flame.

"What happens to them?" Tamara asked as she finally lowered the shot gun. She sniffed softly and moved closer to the old hunter. Her eyes asked the question he really couldn't answer, but he'd give her the best that he could.

Bobby sighed and looked at the distraught woman. "All we can do is hope she's someplace better. You did real good…"

The woman called Tamara wiped the moisture from her eyes and grabbed the back of Bobby's wheelchair. He stopped her by grabbing his wheels. "What the…"

"We need to get to Sam and Dean—Dean's gonna need some help getting Sam out of there. He didn't look too good when I left." Bobby released his hands and let the girl push him towards the back of the theater. His heart was in his throat at the thought that the youngest Winchester might be too broken this time for him to fix.

Dean grunted as something hit his back. He could hear the fury in the ghost's voice but every time he rose to take a shot she disappeared. Evidently she had figured out how to throw things without appearing. "Anytime Bobby…" he said softly as he tried to keep his brother from getting hurt worse.

The older hunter hissed as he felt something pierce his side. "Damn it!" He cried out as he reached over and felt blood leaking through his fingers. He reached back further and felt the hilt of the knife that now stuck out from his back. His first thought was to pull it out, but he knew if it was near anything vital, that could cause him to bleed out. Besides, its location would make it nearly impossible for him to pull it out straight.

"D'n?" Sam's voice was so soft the hunter had to lean closer just to hear him. He wiped his bloodied hand on his jeans before placing it on his brother's face. He watched as once more his brother fought back towards consciousness.

"Still here little brother, you just relax I'm sure it will be over shortly." Dean crossed his fingers that Tamara had found Bobby and the hunter would be ready to burn the ring. He looked down again as his brother's hand moved towards his injured side.

"Yyyou're hhhurt…" Sam stammered out as he pushed himself up with a slight gasp. Dean could see the effort it was taking for his brother to sit. He reached over to help steady him while trying to keep his eyes pealed for any more flying objects. He couldn't help the soft groan that escaped as his brother's hand pressed against his side.

"Dude! Enough with the Dr. Welby fingers—we've got bigger problems…" Dean pulled his little brother's hand away and tried to step back but Sam grabbed his wrist tightly.

Before Dean could object further; his younger brother had turned him to examine the knife that was sticking out of his back. He hissed as Sam pressed along the edge before with one fluid movement he pulled the knife straight out. "GAH! What the hell!" Dean couldn't stop the painful cry from escaping as he felt more blood begin to fall down his side.

"Had to come out—sorry—might get hit again—do more damage." Sam swallowed as he tore at the remains of his t-shirt. "Need to—need to stop the bleeding…"

Dean nodded as he took the cloth and held it to his side. He heard more ripping and soon his brother managed to apply the makeshift bandage. As the cloth was tied tightly around his middle, he couldn't help but notice the shaking of his little brother's hands. Once again, Sam had come through when he needed him.

The eldest Winchester turned as he felt his brother's warm body slide sideways. He glanced down and noticed his sibling had fallen silent. His eyes were closed, but the pinched look was still on his face. He didn't like how pale he was or the sweat that beaded on his face. They had to get out of here and soon. "Hang on Sammy. Shouldn't be long now…"

He grimaced as he sat down next to his brother; the room was beginning to spin slightly. He shook his head to clear his vision. There was no way he could pass out. Not until he was sure the ghost was gone and Sam was safe. The silence in the room unnerved him though. He blinked as a white shape formed outside the circle.

"Why do you defend him? I read his heart, he has done nothing but betray you." Becky glanced behind Dean at the form of his younger brother. He moved so that he was between Sam and the threat before he replied.

"You don't know anything about him…" Dean ground out as he raised the shot gun. His arm shook slightly as he got ready to pull the trigger.

"I know you don't trust him anymore than I trusted Joey. I tried to talk to him about the play that night. JW should have had the lead but Joey got it because he knew the owner of the theater. He was a second rate actor going no where but because he had connections.." The ghost used quotation fingers. "…he got the part." Becky paced back and forth. For now Dean was willing to let her rant, the longer he kept her distracted, the more time Bobby would have time to work.

"Still no reason to kill him—JW would have made it eventually and from what I've learned from him, he would have preferred it that way." Dean lowered the gun slightly, trying to keep her attention on him. He glanced briefly down at his brother and grimaced. This time it appeared his brother wouldn't be sitting back up. The hunter shifted the gun slightly, trying to ease the pain on his injured side as he tried to buy the time Bobby needed to get the job done.

The ghost turned and glared at him. "Joey told me he was going to call in sick for the first nights performance so that JW could play the role, but he lied to me. I saw him in the rafters, checking the lighting to make sure it would shine on him just perfect. He couldn't be trusted so I had to do something." Dean watched as her eyes grew unfocused as if she were being transported back to the past.

"He was JW's best friend and he wasn't willing to let him have the spotlight. He never had a chance but JW did, so I had to…" She paused as an evil grin formed on her lips. "It was actually quite easy. He was bending over the light while he was telling me how he deserved the big break. He tried to tell me JW was already on his way, but he needed this one role to get him on the same track. I just slipped one of the loose ropes over his throat and gave him a little shove. He didn't even scream as he fell, he hung there, jerking for a few moments, his eyes—oh his eyes looked up at me as the light finally left them and I knew in that moment I'd done the right thing."

Dean felt a chill run up his spine. The woman had been slightly crazy in real life it seemed as well as after her death. "JW never would have asked you to marry him if he'd known what a cold hearted bitch you turned out to be. He wanted Joey to take the role. He told me so himself."

"JW was too nice for his own good. At the rate he was going, we were never going to make it to New York. At least I was strong enough to do what had to be done unlike you. He betrayed you, lied to you and then released the devil himself and you could have stopped it if you had just been stronger." The ghost leaned closer, her dark eyes bored into Dean's as he raised the gun higher.

"You blame him when it was your weakness that allowed him to fail…"

"You don't know anything about me or my brother!" Dean said through gritted teeth as he finally pulled the trigger. He smiled in satisfaction as he heard the loud shriek that meant the spirit was finally gone.

He couldn't stop the guilt that flared as the ghost's final words sank in. In a way, she had been right. He was blaming Sam for being weak and yet, had his choices been any better? He gazed down at the shivering form of his brother; his own words had done more damage than the ghost this time. He'd heard it in his brother's voice and seen it in the way his sibling refused to meet his eyes. His brother had been trying to prove himself for weeks when he never should have had to. There was never any doubt in Dean's mind about his brother's loyalty.

Sam had accepted the blame and never once had he tried to give him any excuses. His brother had always seen himself as the weakest of the Winchester family. Yet he'd managed to do what he had thought was right—even going against his Dad and his big brother. Dean didn't think he'd have the same strength. Sure Sam had been wrong, but who would have thought killing Lilith would be the final seal?

Drinking the demon blood had been a bad choice but once again, Sam had done it to save people. How many times had he killed an innocent that could have been saved? Yet his brother had risked himself just to try to save a few of the unlucky hosts. His addiction was something Dean should be helping him with, not blaming him for it. In his gut he knew his little brother wasn't out of the woods with his cravings—he'd seen it when he'd killed those demons. But Bobby was right to point out that Sam had managed to resist.

Somehow he had to make his little brother understand that while he still had reservations about his ability to resist the demon blood in the future, he still trusted him with his life and more importantly with his heart. He just wanted to help Sam as he fought against the cravings, he didn't think he was weak, but they couldn't ignore the problem either.

The hunter was pulled from his thoughts as he felt the air temperature drop. He sighed as he knew it meant Bobby still hadn't burned the ring. He dropped down again and covered his injured sibling as he felt the wind start up in the room. Objects began to be thrown again, some of them hitting his injured side. But just as suddenly the ghostly storm stopped. Dean sat up and glanced around the room. He hoped Bobby was ready. He had a feeling the ghost was onto them. He placed his gun within easy reach as he pulled his brother up into his lap. He pushed the sweat soaked bangs aside before he gently tapped Sam's cheek. "Hey there Sammy, I think she's gone. What say we get you out of here?"

Hazel eyes slowly opened, dazed and unfocused before finally landing on Dean. "There you are little brother. Do you think if I help you, you can walk?"

"M'kay D'n" Sam muttered as he tried to sit up but fell back with a soft cry. His arms wrapped around his ribs. Dean caught him and held him closer as his brother panted through the pain.

"Okay, new plan. I think this time we need to get you an ambulance…" Dean pulled out his cell. He'd call Bobby first to make sure everything was done and then he'd call 911. He stopped as a hand held his wrist.

"No…No hospt'l." Sam whispered. He coughed for a moment before he looked up, his eyes haunted and sad. "Better this way…he can't use me if I'm…" Sam swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment before he started to speak again. "This time…" his voice so quiet Dean had to lean closer. "…you have to—have to let me go Dean. You don't need—don't need me anymore…"

"What the hell are you talking about Sammy! Sam! Don't you do this—not now!" Dean watched as his brother smiled softly as his eyes slowly blinked. "You stay with me Sammy—please!"

"S'okay Dean. Don't—don't have to worry 'bout me no more…" Sam whispered softly as his eyes finally closed, his head lolled to the side and his body went lax.

"NO!" Dean yelled as he pulled Sam closer, his fingers ghosted over the pulse point. He sighed softly as he felt a faint but rapid pulse. He leaned closer and whispered into Sam's ear. "You don't leave me Sammy. I need you little brother—please don't go."

TBC

Raven524: Well I fussed a bit with this chapter, but I guess I'll let it stand. Hopefully it's not too bad. Now the only question left to answer is—how will Tamara get back her ring?


	11. Chapter 11 On the Mend

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 11 – On the Mend**

_Previously…_

"S'okay Dean. Don't—don't have to worry 'bout me no more…" Sam whispered softly as his eyes finally closed, his head lolled to the side and his body went lax.

"NO!" Dean yelled as he pulled Sam closer, his fingers ghosted over the pulse point. He sighed softly as he felt a faint but rapid pulse. He leaned closer and whispered into Sam's ear. "You don't leave me Sammy. I need you little brother—please don't go."

_And Now…_

Bobby and Tamara both stood in the doorway unable to move as they heard the softly spoken pleas from the oldest Winchester. Dean sat on the floor, his brother in his arms as he rocked back and forth. Green eyes looked up and captured aged ones, the torment almost unbearable as Bobby finally wheeled into the room.

"Dean?" Bobby asked softly, almost afraid of the answer he would receive. The boy looked as bad as he had in Cold Oaks. His gaze looked down at the battered body in his brother's arms. The hunter sighed but then stopped as he saw it—it was faint but he was sure he'd seen Sam's chest barely rise and fall.

"He's hurt so bad and we can't—I can't…" Dean stuttered as he pulled Sam closer, tears slipping down dirt covered cheeks. Bobby didn't like the paleness of Dean's face or the way he held his arm against his side. He peered closer and noticed the make shift bandage—damn the older boy was injured as well.

Bobby pulled out his phone and with a final look at Dean began to dial. "No!" Dean said softly.

"You're both hurt, you need a hospital!" Bobby ground out.

"We can't Bobby and you know why—what if they run a blood test? We're not sure what…" Dean paused as he noticed Tamara standing near the doorway. "...I don't think they are equipped to handle Sam's uhm—issue…"

The old hunter sighed as he realized Dean was right. They had no idea if Sam's veins were still filled with Demon Blood. There was no telling what the doctors would do if they discovered it in the man's bloodstream. Dean was right, they couldn't risk it. Which meant the hospital was out for Dean as well because there was no way he would leave his sibling. Bobby pulled his hat off his head and slapped it against his leg. "Damn it!"

"Uhm, I'm not sure why you can't go to the hospital, but I'm guessing you want to avoid law enforcement?" Tamara asked as she moved to kneel beside the two injured men. Bobby watched her face fill with concern as she pushed Sam's hair out of his eyes. "He's burning up!"

The older hunter figured they had to get the boy's back to the hotel and then he'd have to find someone who could help out, maybe Joshua if he was nearby could…

"Look, I'm not sure what's going on and I don't really care. All I know is Sam saved my life. If it weren't for me, he'd be fine…" Tamara's eyes filled for a moment as she stood and looked at Dean. "If you'll let me, I'd like to help."

Bobby waited to see what Dean would say. He'd learned years ago to defer to the older Winchester when it came to these kinds of decisions. He could see the war going on with the hunter, his need to help his brother was at war with his natural tendency to let as few people as possible into what they did. Dean looked down at Sam for a moment before he nodded. "Okay, how can you help?"

Tamara grinned. "Well first off I can help you get your brother to the car. From the looks of things, neither of you will be walking out of here."

"I can carry him…" Dean ground out as he tried to stand only to fall back with a gasp, his eyes closed for a brief moment. Bobby knew the oldest Winchester was hurt pretty bad, the pool of blood beneath him hinted at significant blood loss. If they didn't stop the bleeding soon, he'd be going to either the hospital or the morgue.

"You can't carry him yah idjit—unless you want to drop him." Bobby looked at the young woman, there was no way she would be carrying them either. With a sigh he wheeled closer to Dean and began to lower himself onto the ground.

"What the…" Dean started but shut up at the look the older hunter gave him as he pulled his body closer to the injured man.

"Now listen, we don't have time if you want to save your brother." He looked over at Tamara. "We'll use my chair to wheel him out to the car. Dean after I plug your leak, you'll go with her and hold onto the damn chair. She's gonna need you to transfer him to the Impala. When you idjits get him situated, she can bring my chair back and get me."

Bobby glared as Dean started to protest. A smile curled his lips as the oldest boy shut his mouth and resumed gazing down at his injured brother. He knew Dean wouldn't stay placid long, so the old hunter quickly grabbed the small first aid kit he knew was in the older Winchester's duffle and went to work. He didn't want to take off the makeshift bandage until they were back at the hotel. It would just make the bleeding worse. He grabbed a pressure bandage and began to quickly apply it, wincing slightly at the hitched breath from Dean. "Easy boy…" He encouraged as he finished up.

He looked up and noticed Tamara was on the phone with someone. She nodded a few times before she closed the phone and returned to stand by the injured men. "I've called my father's old friend. He's a retired doctor who doesn't care for the government or the law. I assured him you weren't murderers but were involved in helping folks that sometimes brought you in conflict with the local cops. He'll meet us at your hotel."

"Thanks…" Dean said simply as he once more struggled to his feet. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. "Let's do this…"

Dean watched the elderly doctor as he worked on his brother. The soft tsk sound he made as he worked wasn't encouraging. Tamara and Bobby had returned to the theater to do clean up and promised to bring back some food when they returned. That left Dean with nothing but silence and a head full of guilt.

He knew Sam had overheard him and that it had hurt his brother. The problem was, he couldn't be dishonest about how he felt. He didn't know what coming in contact with demons would mean for his little brother and it scared him. He just couldn't watch Sam go through withdrawal again. How could he get across to Sam that he trusted him to hunt with him and watch his back as long as there wasn't a demon involved?

The doctor stepped back and began to put his tools back into his medical bag. "So what's the verdict Doc?"

The older man sighed and gazed at Dean. "Well you will be fine, just let that IV I set up run its course and I've left some antibiotics and pain meds for you to take…"

"I don't care about me Doc, what's going on with Sammy?"

"Well he's had a rough go of it, but I think he'll be fine in time. It's really up to him right now. I've stitched up the wound on his stomach. Without an Xray, it's impossible to tell how bad the shoulder is damaged and he may lose some mobility in it. So far his breathing is fine which means the ribs are probably not broken, but he'll have to be careful. I'm more concerned with the head trauma…" The Doctor walked over and sat by Dean's bed. He grasped the hunter's wrist and checked his pulse before nodding and dropping the arm.

"What about the fever?"

"The IV should help with that. Once he wakes up I can determine more, but until then—it's just a waiting game. He really should be in the hospital son." The Doctor looked at Dean with curiosity in his gaze. Before Dean could respond he shook his head. "But then I guess you don't want people to know you hunt ghosts for a living…"

Evidently Tamara had clued the doctor in to what had happened. So he just shrugged. "I have to run to get some more supplies as soon as Tamara returns. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest young man. You're gonna need it as Sam here will need help if he wakes up…"

"When-when he wakes up." Dean said softly, his eyes slowly closing against his will. Between the blood loss and the day's events his body was past endurance.

"That's right son—when he wakes up…" The hunter never heard the Doctors soft response as he drifted into a troubled sleep.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Two days later…_

Sam groaned softly as he woke to a world of pain. He'd been drifting in and out for a while now, each time to find his brother there to give him pills or try to get him to eat or drink something. Nothing had been said but he could tell his brother was upset. The problem was he wasn't sure there was any way to 'fix' him. Dean was right, he was a liability and couldn't be trusted.

If it hadn't been for Dean and Bobby, he'd be dead now. He smiled softly as he remembered Tamara stopping by a couple of times to make sure he was all right. She told him the play had continued without a hitch and that there hadn't been any more signs of problems. Of course, that wasn't due to him, but his brother and Bobby.

The young hunter sighed as he turned towards the sound of the shower in the next room. Any moment now Dean would appear and notice he was awake. Then the mother hen routine would start all over again. He hated the way he was right now. He couldn't hunt, couldn't be trusted, couldn't even go to the bathroom without help. It was worse than when he was a kid—worse because back then his brother believed in him and trusted him. Hell even Bobby was walking around like he was going to shatter.

Now, he was just something else his brother had to look after while trying to clean up the mess he'd started. He should leave, just walk away but he couldn't. It was the one promise he would not break to his brother. As long as Dean wanted him to stay he would stay and help as much as his brother would allow.

"Sammy? Hey what's wrong?" Dean was standing at the end of the bed, a towel wrapped around his waist as he dried his hair with another. Sam hadn't even heard him come into the room. No wonder he was useless…

"Huh? Nothing, really Dean I'm fine." He tried to paste a smile on his lips but even he couldn't fake his hopelessness. So the best thing he could do was distract. "Ah, Dean?"

"What Sammy?"

"Do you think, I mean the case is over and I know Bobby is getting restless." Sam looked down for a moment before he finally managed to get the words out. "I think, if it's okay with you—that maybe we should leave."

Dean stared at Sam for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face. "You sure you're up for it? I mean the doc said you needed to rest and you still have trouble walking as far as the bathroom. I'm sure Bobby doesn't mind waiting until you're up for the trip."

Sam sighed as he nodded and rolled over with a soft groan. "Sure Dean—you're right. Sorry…" Sam muttered as he let his eyes close and darkness take him away.

Dean threw the towel he was using on his hair back into the bathroom in frustration. He'd seen the hopelessness in the dull hazel eyes that looked up at him. He'd tried talking to Sam, tried explaining his decisions so his brother wouldn't think he didn't value his opinion but every time he'd said no, his brother had shut down.

What did he expect from him? He quickly pulled on his clothes and then decided to see if Bobby was up to doing some babysitting for a while. He had to get out and clear his head before he said something he'd regret. He stopped for a moment and glanced back at the huddled form on the bed. Sam was disappearing and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He quietly closed the door and knocked on Bobby's door as it opened he could tell his friend was just as worried as he was about his brother. "So you need to blow off some steam boy?"

"I just-he wanted to leave and I told him why we'd need a few more days. He just shut down, no argument, no discussion—just that damn accepting attitude of his. He keeps locking me out and I just don't know what to do anymore Bobby. I want to trust him, but how can I when we don't know what coming in contact with a demon will do to him? I can't let him go through that again…"

"Well maybe it's not up to you Dean…" Bobby said calmly as he wheeled out and headed for the other room.

Dean opened the door and let his friend into the room. He glanced over at the bed and saw Sam hadn't moved. "I'll be back in a couple of hours Bobby, just—just let him know okay?"

"Sure thing kid…" Bobby replied as Dean left the room and jumped into the Impala. He drove with the music off, just his thoughts until he finally decided to pull over. He didn't feel like being around anyone and suddenly the lure of alcohol didn't seem to call to him. Instead he sat on the hood of the car and gazed up at the stars as if they could provide him with the answers he sought.

"_Well maybe it's not up to you Dean…"_ Bobby had a point. He was so used to protecting his younger brother; he hadn't stopped to realize Sam had grown up. If he made all the decisions his independent brother would disappear and he'd be partially to blame. The problem was, he'd also made a promise to his brother to not let anything hurt him.

"How am I supposed to fight the apocalypse when I can't even figure out how to handle this?" Dean cried up to the stars. But the answer never came. With a sigh, Dean climbed back into the car and headed back to the hotel room. He'd just have to keep doing what he'd been doing since he found Sam in the chapel. He'd take one day at a time and deal with what was in front of him. The rest would just have to wait.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bobby Singer sat and watched as the young man who he'd watched grow up was slowly destroyed by the weight he now carried. Sam was broken and he didn't know any more than Dean how to fix him. Sure the boy made mistakes, big ones but his heart had been in the right place. The problem was he now had a weakness—one that could cost them the war.

"No, not supposed to happen like this—why—why me?" Sam muttered in his sleep as he began to toss on the bed. Nightmares had been a common occurrence since Lucifer had been freed. Normally Dean would deal with it but he wasn't here so Bobby wheeled forward and placed a hand on his young friends shoulder. He drew back as he felt heat.

"Damn it Sam—don't do this to us again." Bobby pulled out his phone and dialed Dean's number to tell him to get back here. After making sure the older Winchester would grab some ice on the way back, he once again tried to calm the agitated hunter.

"Easy boy, you're safe." Bobby said softly.

"No good, you're right—too weak, only make things worse…" Sam mumbled as a tear fell down his pale cheek.

"Sam, wake up boy." Bobby shook him a little harder, concerned about the way the boys thoughts were heading.

"No won't leave him alone—answer is no—NO!" Sam cried out as he sat up on the bed, his eyes unfocused as they searched the room. Bobby quickly tried to keep him from pulling his stitches as Sam struggled against his hold.

"Boy, stop it or so help me!" Bobby ground out as a fist hit him in the jaw.

"No, I won't do it—won't say yes you hear me—won't…" Sam sighed as his eyes closed and he fell back to the bed, his legs dangling over the side. He was out for the count again.

"Damn idjit…" Bobby muttered as he tried his best to get the boy back on the bed. Just as he managed to get the covers back over him he heard a sound behind him. He turned and gasped as Castiel stood near the foot of the bed, a look of concern on his face.

"How did you?" Bobby asked as he turned to face the angel.

"It was the closest hotel to the diner where I found Dean. We must move him—Lucifer's minions are on their way to collect him." Cas moved quickly towards Sam. His face filled with uncharacteristic concern as he placed a hand on the man's face. "He suffers and yet he fights, he and his brother never cease to amaze me."

Bobby didn't have time to listen to the angel's thoughts on the frailty of the human condition. If what he said was true, they were in a heap of trouble. Sam wouldn't be able to fight, Dean was injured and he, well he wouldn't be much use in his current condition either. He wheeled over to the window and glanced outside before something hit him. "Wait, I thought that angel writing you put on him shielded him. Besides, he's too sick to move, you'll kill him."

"It was a tactical mistake—they found him the same way I found Dean." Cas shook his head. "A simple mistake and now there is much at risk. Sam is too weak to fight Lucifer. If they get him, Dean will have no choice but to say yes and the war will begin."

"Damn it all to Hell, you could have given us a little more warning. Whose side are you on anyway?" Bobby groused as he began to grab things and throw them in the duffle bags. "Well don't just stand there, go next door and grab my stuff. Dean is on his way back and we can leave. We'll head to my place, Sam will be safe there."

Cas cocked his head for a moment. "I'm not sure there is any place safe now that Lucifer is looking for Samuel here—if only we could find my father…."

"Look, either help me get him ready to travel or go back to your search for your missing Daddy. Me, I'm not going to let those bastards get either one of these boys." Bobby moved closer to Sam and placed a hand on his forehead. "They've both been through enough, now are you going to help?"

"I will get your things…" Cas simply replied as he disappeared.

"Angels, who would have thought they'd be about as useful as utters on a bull! Come on Sam, let's try to get you ready for a little trip. Dean should be here soon and we need to be ready to leave when he gets here." Bobby saw hazel eyes blink wearily up at him.

"D'n?"

Bobby smiled. "He just went to pick up a few things, he'll be right back. Do you think you can help me get you dressed?" He watched as the young hunter gathered himself and with his help managed to sit on the edge of the bed. Bobby placed a strong arm on his shoulders to keep him upright. It was clear the boys was barely functioning.

"Okay, you can travel in your sweat pants but lets try to get one of your hoodies on yah to keep you warm. Don't need you catching a cold…" Bobby pulled out what he needed and nodded at the young man as he struggled to get his boots on. "Let me help you get this on, we don't need you aggravating that shoulder…"

"Thanks Bobby—m'sorry I'm so useless." Sam whispered as he let the older hunter help him finish getting dressed. Bobby didn't miss the hiss of pain as he maneuvered the injured arm through the sleeve.

"You ain't useless you damned idjit—just injured. I don't want to hear any more of that talk you hear me boy?" Bobby watched as Sam bit his lower lip before lowering his head. They really didn't have the time to deal with this but he couldn't let the boy keep thinking he was a burden. He reached over and pulled Sam's head up with his finger.

"I don't know what you are thinking Sam, but let me tell you something. I'm proud of you." Bobby saw the shock in the boy's eyes before Sam shook his head.

"How can you be? Dean's right, I can't be trusted. Look how badly I messed up this hunt and then there's the whole end of the world thing. You'd be crazy to trust me…" Sam said quietly.

"Well then you can put both your brother and me in the looney bin, 'cause we do trust you Sam. Look, you and your brother still need to work things out but as I see it, most people would be running from what is facing you. But you took responsibility for what you did and you're still trying to make it right. As to the hunt, boy you kept fighting even when you were beat to hell. Sure there are issues about what the demon blood has done to you, but we'll deal with it as it comes. In the meantime, I don't want to hear anymore of this crap from you—yah understand me?" Bobby watched as a ghost of a smile crossed Sam's lips.

The sound of wings preceded the figure that suddenly appeared with a duffle bag in his hands. "We must leave, I can feel they are close…"

Sam glanced at Cas before he looked back at Bobby. "What's going on…"

"Seems like some demons have found our trail. Cas thinks it would be a good idea to relocate for the time being so we're going to head to my place and hole up." Bobby patted Sam on the shoulder. "Ain't nothing to worry about. You're brother will be hear in a minute and we'll head out."

Sam paused for a moment before he sighed and looked up at Cas. "Is there any place we can go to avoid them?"

"As I told Bobby, I don't think you and your brother can hide forever from them. At some point you will have to face them." Cas stopped as he saw Bobby's glare. "But, I think now is not the time to fight—you must first regain your strength."

Bobby watched as Sam's shoulders slumped. "I don't think I'll ever be strong enough…maybe—maybe it would be better if you just took me out of the equation all together…"

TBC

Raven524: I apologize for the length of time between chapters on this story. I really didn't forget it but RL has been crazy as usual. The good news is I've finished the story, so the rest will be posted quickly. Thanks for all of you who have stuck with me on this story—you're all super!


	12. Chapter 12 Once More into the Breah

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 12 – Once more Into the Breach**

_Previously…_

"It was a tactical mistake—they found him the same way I found Dean." Cas shook his head. "A simple mistake and now there is much at risk. Sam is too weak to fight Lucifer. If they get him, Dean will have no choice but to say yes and the war will begin."

"Damn it all to Hell, you could have given us a little more warning. Whose side are you on anyway?" Bobby groused as he began to grab things and throw them in the duffle bags. "Well don't just stand there, go next door and grab my stuff. Dean is on his way back and we can leave. We'll head to my place, Sam will be safe there."

_Now…_

Dean looked in the rearview mirror and smiled as he saw his brother's head lying against the angel's shoulder. Cas had his usual stoic look and yet there was a glimmer of concern in the blue eyes. To say that he had been freaked out to find Cas in the hotel room when he returned with a warning that demons were on the way to collect Sam was an understatement.

It had only taken them a few minutes to pack up and leave. At one point he had even toyed with having Cas take Sam ahead to the panic room, but his brother had nixed the idea. The fear and loathing he saw in his sibling's gaze was enough to have him reconsider. After all the last time Sam had been there, he'd gone through detox. He couldn't blame Sam.

Bobby was sitting beside him, a shotgun in his lap as he gazed out the window. They weren't sure how close the demons had gotten, but if they came the hunters would be ready. As much as he hated the idea of facing them so soon, he knew eventually they would have to. The problem was, how would Sam react?

He glanced back again, his teeth pulling on his lower lip as he saw his brother's face twitch in a grimace before Cas reached over and touched his forehead lightly. His brother wasn't ready for this trip much less ready to fend off the monsters who were after him. Blue eyes caught green for a moment as Dean nodded his thanks to the angel for staying with them.

"Do you think they will follow us?" Dean asked quietly as he held the angel's gaze.

"I think Lucifer knows Sam is vulnerable right now and will do what he needs to do to get your brother under his control. We need the colt…"

"The colt?" Bobby piped in as he glanced back at the Angel. "I thought Bella sold it?"

"As I told Dean, the word is that she did not sell it but gave it to one of Lilith's followers. We have to find the demon who has it and get it back if we want to defeat Lucifer."

"And I told you we would look for it as soon as Sam is feeling better. Besides, I'm still not convinced it wasn't destroyed. It doesn't make sense that the demons would keep it around knowing it could kill their leader." Dean sighed as he pressed down harder on the accelerator. "We'll be at Bobby's in a couple of hours, we can discuss what needs to be done once we get Sam safe."

"No, I won't let you…" Sam mumbled as his eyes blinked open briefly before closing again.

"Hold on Sammy, we'll get you someplace where you can rest." Dean said softly.

Cas frowned for a moment at he gazed at Sam. "He is under attack…"

Bobby sighed and nodded. "Lucifer is getting to him?"

"Yes, he can reach Sam through his dreams and your brother is fighting but I sense…"

Cas paused and frowned.

"What? Come on Cas, it's time to share with the class. What's wrong with Sam?" Dean couldn't help the cold dread that filled his stomach.

"Your brother is giving up Dean." Cas shook his head sadly. "And if he does, all will be lost…"

"Can he get to Sam in the panic room? Would Sam be safe from him there?" Dean asked quietly as his guilt spiked. His brother was giving up because of him and he knew it. So far they hadn't been able to talk as his brother was out of it most of the time. He glanced at Bobby and saw his own worry reflected on his friends face.

"I do not believe he can, but his servants will guess where we are going. It won't be long before they arrive to take what they want." Cas said quietly.

"I said no…I won't go with you…have to…have to kill me…" Sam pushed himself up and struggled as Cas reached to grab him. "No! let me go…have to get away! Dean!"

Dean pulled the car over to the side of the road and jumped from the front seat just as Sam managed to get the door open and fall out onto the side of the road. He rushed around and grabbed his brother by the shoulder. "Sammy! Calm down, you're safe!"

Hazel eyes blinked and looked up at Dean. The despair and hopelessness in them made the older Winchester's eyes fill while he tried to gather his brother to him. But Sam shook his head and pushed back. "Sssorry…not strong enough. You need to let me go Dean—I'll only get you all killed."

Dean caught his brother as his knees gave out and gently lowered him to the ground. "You promised to stay with me Sam and I'm holding you to it."

"Why?" Sam asked softly, his long bangs now hiding his eyes from his brother's view.

Dean took a deep breath as he noticed the defeated slump of his brother's shoulders. He wanted to tell Sam it would be okay, but how could he? So he told him the only thing he could think of. "Because you're my pain in the ass little brother and I won't let you go. We face this together and if we fail, we fail together…"

He could feel his brother shiver even though he could feel the heat of fever through his brother's clothing. They had to get him some place where he could heal. "We'll talk about this later, I promise Sammy. It will be okay, no come on, let's get you back into the car."

"He's going to win isn't he…" Sam said softly as he allowed Dean to pull him to his feet and guide him towards the car.

"No, he isn't and you know why?" Dean said as lowered Sam back onto the seat.

Sam glanced up at him, the question clearly in his eyes as he allowed himself to be put back into the car. Cas reached over and pulled Sam further inside. Dean leaned in and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Because you're too damn strong to let him." The older man held his brother's gaze and let him see the faith he had in him. Sam shook his head and smiled softly as he let his head fall back against the back seat.

"Bobby's right—you both belong in the looney bin…" Sam whispered as his eyes blinked a few times before closing again.

Dean patted his brother's shoulder. "We'll be at Bobby's soon and then you can rest Sam. We won't let them get you."

"I know Dean…" Sam whispered without opening his eyes. Dean caught the worried looks that both Cas and Bobby directed at him. As he stood he took a brief look back before he squared his shoulders and got back into the front seat. This was something he was good at, he might not be able to stop the Apocalypse, but he could take care of Sam. Bobby had been right, it wasn't up to Dean to prevent what might happen, but it was on him to make sure that Sam didn't have to face whatever was ahead alone.

The rest of the trip went without incident as Sam remained asleep and the others stayed silent. Each occupant of the car was lost in their own thoughts. As Dean turned towards the long driveway that led to Bobby's house he paused; something didn't feel right. Before he could voice his concern, Cas spoke.

"They are here…"

"Well thanks for that announcement Carol Anne! Damn it—we need to get Sam into the panic room." Before Dean could say another word he heard the soft sound of his brother's gasp before Cas and Sam disappeared from the back seat. "Damn it! We really need to get that man a bell."

Dean pulled the car just inside Bobby's gate and parked it behind a stack of rusted cars. He gazed over at Bobby and sighed. There was no way they would be able to sneak Bobby past the demons in his wheelchair. He could see his concern reflected in his old friends eyes.

"Jest leave me here yah idjit. You need to see to that brother of yours." Bobby ground out as Dean continued to glance towards the house.

"Not going to happen Bobby. At least we don't have to worry about Sam—but now we need to figure out how to get ourselves inside…" Dean saw Bobby jump as Cas appeared by the passenger door. The door was opened and before the old hunter could make a comment, he disappeared along with Cas.

"Looks like we're taking Angel Express…" Dean muttered as he exited the car and quickly pulled Bobby's chair from the trunk while he loaded a bag with the weapons they might need. He had no idea how many demons were hanging around, but they needed to make sure they had enough to fight their way out if need be. Before he could stand back up, Cas returned.

"I don't suppose you give frequent flyer miles?" Dean asked as Cas reached his hand towards his head. Before he could move he felt the tug followed by the disorientation as he tried to keep his stomach under control. One minute he was standing behind the Impala and the next he was in Bobby's panic room. The hunter shook his head and smiled as he saw Bobby sitting in a chair next to Sam who now lay on the cot in the room. Cas stood off to the side with his head cocked.

"Do you know how many?" Dean asked as he rolled the chair over to Bobby and removed the bag of weapons from the seat. He watched at Bobby transferred to his wheel chair only to move back towards his brother. Sam was still out for the count, his breaths a little too shallow for Dean's comfort, but first they had to deal with the threat.

Cas walked over and looked down at Sam. "More are coming. I could take you someplace else after I've rested a bit…" Dean noticed that Cas seemed to be swaying slightly. Evidently three trips by Angel Air had drained the messenger of God.

"We can't keep running Cas. You said they were after Sam because he was weak?" Dean glanced down at his brother and frowned as he saw the hint of fever on his brother's pale cheeks. "By weak you don't mean physically do you?"

Cas nodded. "Your brother carries a great weight and it is crushing him. His spirit is tired and Lucifer can sense it. He has been speaking to your brother and while so far Sam has resisted, I am not sure how much longer he will be able to deny the dark angel what he seeks."

"Then you don't know my brother. You and your Angel buddies have always underestimated him. Hell even I have." Dean walked over and sat beside his sibling. He sighed as he gently pushed the sweat soaked hair from Sam's forehead. "I keep treating him like he's broken but the truth is, he's stronger than any of us."

Cas looked down at the sleeping man and shook his head. "You misunderstand me Dean. I speak of the human condition in general. There has never been a human who has been able to resist Lucifer once he decides to entice them with his empty promises. He will find a way to break through, it is only a matter of time."

"Well thank you for that lovely ray of sunshine! Now if we are through giving up before we've started, how about you two idjits try to figure out how to get rid of our friends upstairs so we can get this boy in a decent bed." Bobby growled as he glanced at the door. "Oh and while you're at it, one of you geniuses will need to figure out how to get me up the damn stairs—I didn't build no ramp into the basement!"

Dean grinned at his old friends antics. Sometimes Bobby did have a way of simplifying a situation. "Cas, I know you're running kind of low on angel juice, but do you think you can do something about the infection that is causing his fever? We need him to be conscious and not delirious."

Cas nodded and moved next to Sam. He took a deep breath and placed his hand over Sam's chest, breathing slowly in and out as a slight glow enveloped the youngest Winchester. A moment later a soft gasp was heard as Sam woke. Dean moved forward and took Cas's place, his hand settled on Sam's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Take it easy Sammy. Cas just used some of his mojo to help you get over the fever."

"Where? What?" Sam whispered as he licked cracked lips. Dean jumped as a glass of water was put in his hand. He glanced up and smiled as Cas went to stand next to the door.

"I think I'll go have a look to see how many have arrived. I shall return shortly." Cas said before he disappeared.

Dean heard a soft groan as Sam pushed himself up. "We're at Bobby's—is he…did Lucifer find us?"

"No just a few of his hench men. But we're safe and if necessary, Cas can blink us out of here. Hey you think he can get us as far as Vegas?" Dean noticed the small grin tugging at his brother's lips.

"Only if you want to spend the day explaining the lure of the one armed bandit." Sam replied as he managed to sit up on the edge of the cot. His brother glanced around for a moment and Dean didn't miss the slight shiver that went through his sibling's frame. Cas had managed to heal the worst of what ailed the youngest Winchester, but Sam was still injured and not ready for this fight. Unfortunately, the evil sons of bitches didn't get the memo to give them time to recoup.

"I'm sorry about bringing you back here, but it was the only place that I was sure you'd be safe Sammy." Dean said quietly and he saw the fear and loathing in his brother's eyes. He knew Sam was remembering what had happened the last time he was here. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezed it.

"So now that we have made our introductions, how about you two ladies help me figure out a way to get rid of our unwanted guests. I don't know about you, but there ain't no beer down here and believe me you don't want to even think about eatin' the food." Bobby remarked as he wheeled over towards the door.

"There is a way…" Sam said quietly

Dean looked down and shook his head. Sam didn't need to say anything, he could read it in his eyes. "No way Sam. You're not going to go out there and give yourself over to them."

"It would be easier Dean. I mean, even if I say yes—which I'm not saying I would, but even if that happened, you and Bobby could find the colt and kill both of us. That would end everything…" Sam said as he slowly stood and walked towards the door.

"You're right—it would end everything." Dean said quietly. He watched as both Sam and Bobby turned to look at him. "Because after I killed you—I'd turn the gun on myself."

He watched as Sam swallowed before hazel eyes looked up to lock with his own. "Look, I know you heard some things Sammy and I'd be lying if I said I've figured everything out. But I know two things. You're my brother and no matter what happens nothing will ever change that. I also know you're too damn stubborn to give up. It's one of the traits that makes you—well you. Besides, who is going to irritate me on those long road trips if you go play with Lucy and his gang?"

"But Dean, you can't trust me…" Sam ground out as he gazed over towards the cot. The restraints from the last time they were here were still attached. "I can't trust me…" his brother said softly.

"That's true Sammy. I don't know if I can trust you to be able to resist drinking more demon blood any more than I can trust Bobby here from drinking a whole bottle of Jack. But I do know that you both will always have my back and I'll have yours. Which means, I'll be the one to kick you in the rear end if you stray from the straight and narrow." Dean paused and moved closer to Sam. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and pulled him closer. "And it also means that I hunt with no one else because no one else is as good as my pain in the ass little brother."

He stood and let Sam look into his eyes. After a few moments, he saw the spark that had been missing reappear along with the slight grin to the too pale face. He pulled his brother into a brief hug before he stepped back. A moment later the sound of angel wings filled the room.

"There is only a small contingent. Perhaps he is merely testing our resolve?" Cas said quietly as he glanced at the men in the room. It was clear he was puzzled by the change in the atmosphere as both brother's stood side by side smiling at him. "Did I miss something?"

"Just two idjits finally getting it right…" Bobby groused. "Now how about we get rid of the demons cause it's been a long time since I hit the can!"

"Why would you want to hit a can?" Cas started but stopped as Sam and Dean both chuckled.

"So how many are out there Cas?" Sam said after both men finally were able to contain their mirth.

"There are only six and it doesn't sound like there are more coming. I heard them say they were simply to observe until they get further orders." Cas pulled out the angel killing blade and walked towards the door.

"So, what's the plan?" Dean asked as he reached into the bag and pulled out the demon blade. He handed it to Sam before he pulled out his favorite gun and a bottle of holy water. He noticed Sam's look as he glanced down at the blade. It would mean his brother would get in close contact. Dean shrugged. They were going to meet up with demons more often. If Sam was going to have trouble, they needed to know it sooner rather than later.

"We kill them before they kill us." Cas replied as he opened the door and walked through.

"A man of action—I like that!" Dean said as he followed the angel out the door. Sam turned towards Bobby as if he was waiting for permission to leave.

"Go on Sam. The sooner you get them out of here, the sooner I can get back upstairs." Bobby said as he wheeled forward and patted the young hunter on the arm. "Make sure you kill one for me kid."

Dean smiled as he heard the exchange. A moment later Sam was behind him as they climbed the stairs. The all stopped at the front door and gazed outside. There was no sign of the demons. "You sure they're out there?"

Cas paused for a moment and cocked his head before he replied. "I am sure. They are not together any longer however."

"I have an idea…" Sam said quietly before looking down at the floor. Dean realized his brother expected him to disagree. He sighed as he glanced back out the window. He could guess what his brother was going to suggest and he also knew it would go against his number one objective, keep Sammy safe. But he also knew if he didn't handle this right, the little talk they just had would be forgotten and Sam would revert back to hiding from him.

"So what's your plan Sam?" Dean asked. He almost laughed at the look of disbelief on his brother's face. Of course, it also showed how much damage had been done to his brother's confidence. When had he stopped listening to Sam's ideas? The boy had more than proved himself an excellent hunter. The answer was one he didn't really want to investigate right now. Instead he'd back Sam's play.

"Ah…well, if they are just supposed to observe. Why don't I give them something to look at? Then when they get close…" Sam looked down, biting his lower lip as he stopped talking.

"Bait? You want to put yourself out at bait?" Dean felt his protective instincts kick in but one look at his brother's slumped shoulders changed his mind. He was right, he had to let Sam start making some of the decisions. Besides, if he were honest with himself, the plan might work.

"Fine, but you let Cas and I get into position first. Cas can you also get Bobby up here? He can move around inside so that they don't suspect we are outside." Dean modified Sam's plan slightly and was surprised when his brother smiled. "Oh and Sam, if you get hurt—I'm gonna kick your ass from here to Sunday—got it?"

"Yes Sir!" Sam replied as he hid the knife and stood by the door.

"Dang it! I said I didn't want to be teleported you idjit!" Bobby's voice filled the small room as Cas arrived with the irate hunter.

"Bobby, can it for now. We need you to help with the distraction." Dean walked over and filled Bobby in on what he needed him to do. He then looked at Cas before taking a deep breath. "You think you can zap us outside after Sam gets them all out in the open?"

Cas nodded slowly. "I believe I can."

"Good. So Sammy, you ready to play the lead in the new play?" Dean saw his brother's puzzled look. "You know, the Winchester rendition of 'Shootout at the Okay Corral'—I get to play Wyatt and you can be Virgil…"

"So what does that make Bobby?" Sam said with a small smirk

"Why Doc Holliday of course!" Dean answered without a pause.

"How about you idjits get a move on before I find my six shooter…" Bobby said as he rolled closer to the door.

Sam shook his head and moved towards the door. He glanced at Bobby for a moment before he opened the door and staggered outside. The oldest Winchester knew his brother really didn't have to act that much as it was clear his injuries were still bothering him. The way his brother held his injured arm close and pressed his lower abdomen reminded him once again that his sibling was far from being healed. He watched as Sam paused and grasped the railing as if he was too weak to stay upright before he stumbled down the stairs. It took everything Dean had in him to keep himself from running out to catch his brother before he fell.

"Cas, it's time…" Dean didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before the familiar tug warned him that he was on his way outside.

"Get back in here you idjit! DEAN, get your ass up here—he's gotten outside!" Bobby called back into the now empty house. He slammed the door shut and wheeled towards the window to watch the proceedings.

Sam stumbled further into the yard and promptly fell to his knees, his gaze traveled around the yard for a moment before with a soft groan, he collapsed onto the ground. A moment later Bobby saw six shadowy forms emerge from various points in the junk yard.

The old hunter pulled up his shot gun and got ready to at least try to protect his boy's backs should they need it. "Damn idjits…" He muttered as once again he found himself on the sidelines when every instinct in him shouted at him to join the fight. After another moment without any sign of Dean or Cas, Bobby shook his head and opened the door.

"Hey! You guys want to play, come and get me!" Bobby shouted as he shot the nearest demon who had gotten to Sam.

Dean shook his head as he saw Bobby on the front porch shooting at the demons as they approached his brother. The old man may be tethered to the chair, but he wasn't out of the fight. After riding Angel Express he had found himself hidden behind one of the old wrecks with Cas at his side.

The angel had already pulled his angel blade as he watched the proceedings. Dean was started as Cas handed the deadly weapon to him. "I don't need a blade to send them back…" the angel whispered as he motioned for Dean to follow him.

Meanwhile two of the demons had reached Sam. Bobby's shot had stopped the one for the moment but the other managed to get right next to the downed man. As one of the meatsuits pulled back his leg to kick the injured hunter, a long arm grabbed the possessed man's leg and flipped him onto his back. Dean smiled as he watched Sam surged up to face the other demons. The demon blade was pulled from its hiding spot as the youngest Winchester glared at the remaining demons while they advanced.

"Come on Cas, time to join the fun!" Dean whispered as he hurried towards his brother.

TBC

Raven524: Only one more chapter to go in this story. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews and kind words.


	13. Chapter 13 The End?

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**The Play's the Thing**

**Chapter 13 – The End?**

_Previously…_

Dean smiled as he watched Sam surged up to face the other demons. The demon blade was pulled from its hiding spot as the youngest Winchester glared at the remaining demons while they advanced.

"Come on Cas, time to join the fun!" Dean whispered as he hurried towards his brother.

_Now…_

Sam wiped a hand across his forehead to remove the sweat beading there as he watched the demons continue to surround him. The one Bobby had hit slowly rose to his feet and approached him. He kept his injured arm close to him as he turned to face the rest of his attackers. He could see his brother and Cas moving quickly towards the fray. All he had to do was hold it together for a few more minutes. Planting his feet more firmly he raised the knife and prepared to defend himself.

"You think you can kill all of us with that little knife?" One of the demons taunted.

"No, but then I only need to kill the ones left standing after my brother gets done with you!" Sam ground out as he leapt forward and jammed the blade into the nearest demon's heart. Dean's face broke into a grin as he managed to impale the demon closest to him with the angel blade while Cas grabbed a third and placed his hand over the man's face. A moment later a loud scream filled the air as the demon was ripped from his meat suit.

That left three more to go. The young hunter heard the sound of Bobby's shotgun being pumped before it discharged once again into the demon that had first attacked. "Gotcha you son of a bitch!" Bobby yelled from his vantage point on the porch.

Sam smiled at his old friend. Bobby Singer might be paralyzed but he was still a force to be reckoned with. He glanced back as he saw the fallen demon begin to struggle towards his feet once more. Without thinking, the hunter pulled the blade from the demon he'd killed and now used it to kill the demon Bobby shot. But before he could get the knife from the second downed man, another demon managed to grab him from behind. "My master will be coming for you!"

The young hunter grunted in pain as his body was forced back against the demon. He felt the pressure on his throat increase until he thought for sure his neck was going to be snapped in two. Just as he felt himself begin to black out, the pressure was released and a loud scream erupted from the demon. He fell to his knees gasping for air while trying to ride out the pain in his shoulder and stomach. As his vision cleared he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back to see his brother pulling the angel's blade from the demon. Cas had managed to capture the final demon before it could flee. He pulled the hapless creature over in front of the boys.

"Give Lucifer a message for me." Sam said as he stood with help from his brother. He walked closer and glared at the struggling demon. "Tell him the answer will always be no! He can just find himself another person to try to possess because me and my brother are going to kill him."

The demon grinned at Sam. "You cannot avoid your destiny human. You were chosen to be the true vessel, it is only a matter of time…"

"Well if you're master is waiting for me to say yes, he'll have a long wait." Sam said as he nodded towards Cas.

Sam felt no pleasure or relief as he watched Cas expel the demon from the host. Once again a loud scream filled the night as the demon was dispatched. However Sam knew this was just the beginning. He didn't want to say yes and he would resist with everything he had, but down deep inside he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd fail again.

He saw Dean shake his head as he looked at the six dead bodies laying in the front yard. "Man, someone's gotta dig six holes and bury these guys…so Cas, did you heal all of Sam's wounds cause I think it's time my brother got a little dirty."

"No Dean, I could only remove the infection—since I was brought back, my power has been—limited. I can no longer heal as before…" Cas said as he moved forward and took the angel blade from Dean. There was a flash of regret in the angel's eyes as he glanced up at the man on the porch. Sam figured he was lucky their friend had managed as much as he had. He could see it had taken a lot out of the heavenly creature.

Sam sighed as he watched his brother begin to gather the bodies together. He knew his brother was kidding about him helping. In fact, he was surprised he hadn't been dragged back to the house and put under orders not to move. He glanced back at the place they now thought of as home. While a part of him still wanted to just go lock himself up in the panic room until this was over, he couldn't do that to Dean. Instead he pasted a smile on his face and tried not to give in to his body's demand to just fall where he stood. "Dean, how about I make you a deal. I'll dig the holes but you have to salt, burn and then fill the holes when I'm done." Sam said as he wiped the blade covered in demon blood on the grass.

Dean acted surprised as he took a better look at his brother. For a moment Sam thought Dean was going to argue but instead he shrugged. "Okay, I'll get you a shovel."

The young hunter was stunned—he was sure his brother would argue or tell him to go back into the house and rest. However, not to be outdone the young hunter nodded and moved towards the side of Bobby's house. "That's okay Dean, I've got it covered."

Sam disappeared only to return driving a backhoe. He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he saw the look on his brother's face. Some times being the younger brother had its perks. Especially when he managed to get one up on his older brother. His smile grew as he heard Bobby's laugh fill the air followed by Dean's grumbled response. "Sure, I knew it was there. I just went along because I didn't want you to hurt your shoulder or your ribs…"

A short time later Sam watched as Dean shoveled the last bit of dirt into the hole Sam had dug. The smell of burning flesh still filled the air and yet Sam felt better than he had since they had returned from the chapel. "Enjoying the view there Sammy?" Dean asked as wiped his hands on his jeans.

Sam began to reply when suddenly he felt the world begin to tilt slightly. Now that the adrenalin rush was over, his body was ready for some much needed rest. "No I—I—Dean?" He felt strong arms grab him before his knees finally gave out.

"I've gotcha…" Dean said softly as Sam felt himself being led back towards Bobby's house. As he was lowered to the sofa, he couldn't help the groan that left his lips. His body really did hurt. He almost missed Dean's question to Cas.

"So you think Lucifer will leave him alone for now?" Sam felt a soft blanket pulled over his worn out body. He could feel his eyes trying to close, but he needed to hear the answer.

"I don't think he will give up, no. But as long as your brother remains strong in his resolve, he will not be able to succeed."

"Well then, he'll never get what he wants 'cause I know my brother—he won't give up that easily." Sam smiled at the conviction he heard in his brother's voice. As he slid into darkness, a small part of his soul smiled. Dean was right, he wouldn't make it easy for the son of a bitch.

Dean grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the old kitchen table. It had been almost a week since they had faced the demons and still there was no sign of any more. He glanced over at Bobby who was busy reading an old text while he ate his own breakfast. "So did you find anything out about how we can kill Lucy?"

Bobby shook his head. "I've only started researching boy. Do you know how many books have been written about him?"

"Ah no, and I don't plan on sticking around to count them either. I'm sure you've got them all someplace in this dump." Dean stood and looked out the window.

"Watch your mouth boy…" Bobby growled without any heat. "He's outside, probably in his favorite spot."

Dean smiled at his old friend. It was scary sometimes how well the old man read him. "I think it's time for us to move on, find a new hunt and keep busy until we can figure this thing out."

"Well it's not like I need babysitters…" Bobby paused and looked at Dean. "…and the more time you give him to think about it, the worse it's gonna get. I still can't get my head around what you two boys are facing but I want you to know I'll do everything I can to help. You're not in this alone Dean."

"I know Bobby and thanks. I couldn't ask for a better person to have my back." Dean placed his empty cup in the sink. "But enough with the Hallmark moment, I think I'll go find Sam."

"You do that boy, I'll pack a lunch for you idjits while you're out collecting your brother."

Sam sat on the old rusted Ford and gazed over the fence into the fields beyond Bobby's yard. He often came to this spot to think and to get away from the overprotective watchdogs back at the house. His arm was still stiff and his body ached but for the most part he was in good shape. At least he was well enough to hunt. The question was, did Dean think he was ready?

He thought back on the fight with the demons and while he was in the heat of the battle, his problem didn't seem to raise its ugly head. He couldn't deny that when he cleaned the blade, there had been a moment when he felt the pull to take just a taste. He'd resisted but could he do it for much longer? Part of him wanted to believe he'd beaten his addiction and yet part of him knew he would always be susceptible to it.

The young hunter glanced back towards the house. It wasn't fair to place all this on Dean's shoulders. His brother deserved so much more than to be saddled with a screw up like himself. But he also knew Dean didn't see it that way. So the best he could do was be there to back up whatever play his brother came up with. He'd follow Dean's lead and do what he should have done from the beginning. He would trust his brother's instincts on what was right and wrong.

Sam jumped as he heard footsteps coming closer. He reached for the demon blade that he always carried with him now. But stopped as he heard a familiar chuckle. "Glad to see you're on alert little brother."

"Hey Dean…" Sam said as he carefully climbed off the hood of the car. He turned and watched as Dean came closer.

"So, you ready to blow this popsicle stand? I think we've worn out our welcome at Motel Singer for now…" Dean stopped and leaned against a rusted car, his legs crossed casually in front of him.

"Well maybe if you stopped pushing his buttons…" Sam smiled as he saw the mischievous glint in his brother's eyes.

"And what would be the fun in that? Besides, the man needs someone to keep his blood flowing."

"Somehow I don't thinking rising his blood pressure is a good thing. But you're right Dean; I think we need to get back on the road. We need to start hunting down the Colt." Sam saw his brother bite down on his lip for a moment before he responded.

"Okay Sam, so where do we start looking?" Sam was shocked for a moment. He watched as Dean walked forward and looked out over the junk yard. "I know we need to find it Sam and believe me Bobby is doing all he can to get us a lead, hell even Cas is looking. So what do you say about us doing what we do best while we're looking?"

"Have you found a new hunt?" Sam asked as he joined his brother.

"Not really, but I figure we hit the road and take what comes our way. If we get a lead on the Colt or on a way to kill the son of bitch, then we act. But until then, I think we should just keep hunting. The apocalypse isn't going anywhere but there are a few more people we can save along the way too." Sam watched as Dean turned back to him. It was clear his brother was waiting for his answer. For a moment it felt like before, just him and his brother heading out to fight the uglies in the world. He could almost forget what was ahead as he admitted to himself that his brother was once again right. As long as they did it together, he would be fine with it.

"Okay Dean." Sam turned to follow his brother back towards the house. As they climbed the steps Sam stopped and looked back at his brother. "Say Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Whatever happened to Tamara's ring?"

Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder as he moved passed him. "Don't worry little brother, it came out all right in the end—she was glad to get it back."

Sam stopped and screwed up his face. "Please tell me you washed it…"

"My lips are sealed Sammy. Now get a move on before I leave your ass behind." Sam shook his head as his brother laughed.

"Fine, but I'm not shaking your hand ever again—that's just gross Dude!" Sam called after his brother's retreating back. Things might be screwed, but for now hearing his brother's laughter was all that he needed. As long as they were together, he somehow felt everything would work out fine.

The End

Raven524: I hope you all enjoyed the story. I am working on a new one but want to get a few chapters in before I begin to post—so see you all soon! Thanks for everyone who keeps reading and responding. It does make my day, especially when RL seems to get to be too much. See you all on the next one!


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